#SmashTalk: should we be worried about the TUE info leak?

In what is typically a quiet week on the tour past US Open and Davis Cup, the tennis world has been set ablaze with details of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) granted to several tennis stars.

With a Russian cyber-hacking group recently leaking details of TUEs obtained by players like Serena and Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal, the #SmashTalk panel of Paul Moore, Matt Trollope and Leigh Rogers discuss what it all means. Plus, they take a look at the importance of Davis Cup and the Asian swing to players.

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What do you make of the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) revelations leaked about players by the Russian cyber-hacking group “Fancy Bear”?

PM: I think they’re really interesting. Without being an expert in these things, it seems like TUEs have been used fairly liberally by a number of athletes – not only in tennis. While you can never condone leaks of this sort (and it must be unpleasant for the athletes involved), if it helps tidy up a system that is clearly being abused then that is no bad thing.

MT: That players are simply complying with WADA protocols to legally administer certain drugs as part of rehabilitation from injury or illness. Sure, it might seem controversial that this information was intended to be private and then leaked, but it shows that the correct processes are being followed. I feel especially sorry for Simone Biles – not a tennis player obviously, but an athlete who had her TUE records leaked – because she has now been forced to admit to the world that she takes ADHD medication, which was nobody’s business unless she felt she wanted to discuss it publicly.

LR: It is very disappointing for tennis. From drug-use headlines to match-fixing allegations, it’s been a rough year for the sport’s reputation. I feel sorry for the implicated players who have had their right to privacy compromised. ‘Fancy Bear’ might be making headlines with these leaked documents – but these exemptions have gone through a stringent process to be approved for use, so it really is a non-story.

Davis Cup play at the weekend again saw the absence of several top names. How relevant nowadays is the long-standing team tennis competition?

PM: In my mind, there’s no doubt that the Davis Cup no longer has the standing that it once enjoyed in tennis. Because of its history, it’s still clearly one that everyone wants to win. But it’s clearly not high on the list of ‘big’ player priorities.

MT: It’s no secret that the competition is a distant second in the prestige stakes to the majors, and that its season-long home-and-away schedule is an inconvenience to players in an already crowded calendar. There’s still a lot of passion and drama that comes through in Davis Cup – the packed crowd at Glasgow Arena that watched Murray and del Potro battle for five hours is testament to that – and players do love the chance to compete for their country, but the format needs to change. And soon. Let’s go World Cup style, every two or four years!

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LR: Look at the emotion of the Argentinean team after they stunned defending champions Great Britain or the reaction from Marin Cilic after his heroic individual performance steered Croatia into the final – this is a competition that still matters. Yes there were some big names missing, but how is that different to any week on the ATP World Tour? Andy Murray skipped his grandfather’s funeral to play in Glasgow over the weekend, while Rafael Nadal travelled to India to help Spain return to the World Group. That is commitment – and proves why this competition is still relevant.

Speaking of Davis Cup – Juan Martin del Potro was again the talking point. With Olympic silver, a US Open quarterfinal and now a landmark win over Murray in Argentina’s defeat of Great Britain, is he the most dangerous male player appearing in tournament draws at the moment?

PM: He’s surely one of them. He’s beaten the top two players in the world in the last six weeks, and was unlucky to come across an inspired Wawrinka in Flushing Meadows. Aside from Djokovic and Murray, I would say that he is the one player that nobody wants to draw right now.

MT: He’s probably the one that players will want to avoid most in the opening round at tournaments. At world No.64, he’s a dangerous unseeded floater wherever he goes, and with his improving health and confidence coupled with his devastating weapons, he’s certainly playing at a much higher level than his ranking suggests. I just get nervous that his latest upward surge could be curtailed by another setback – his body has just been so fragile ever since his 2009 US Open breakthrough.

LR: The impact del Potro would have in his long-awaited comeback has been a talking point all season. He returned with few expectations and each win or milestone since has been celebrated – but his recent performances have justifiably sent expectations soaring. He is the only player to beat all current top four players (Djokovic, Murray, Wawrinka and Nadal) so far this season – a telling stat that proves he is much better than his No.64 ranking. His current form suggests it won’t take long for that position to improve, but whether he has the stamina to close out the season in such convincing fashion is still a question mark. I wouldn’t be surprised to see del Potro play a reduced scheduled in coming weeks to save his body for the Davis Cup final and start of the 2017 season. Even if he does, he is definitely a dangerous player that the top players will want to avoid.

Fans’ attention has turned to tournaments in China, Japan and Korea this week. Just how important is the Asian swing to players?

PM: This is a strange old swing. The ATP have their one showpiece event (Shanghai), but the WTA haven’t really been able to conjure up anything ‘impressive’ – don’t believe anyone who tells you that Beijing is one of the ones that all of the players want to win. So aside from watching players scrambling for ATP World Tour Finals and WTA Finals points, there’s little to motivate the higher seeds … apart from massive pay cheques.

MT: I think it’s important in the sense that there’s so many players who can benefit from the opportunities it provides – ranking points are at a premium at this time of year with the WTA and ATP Finals looming, and the Asian events offer thousands to help players shoot for a place in the elite eight-player fields. But in terms of getting up for supposedly “big” or “prestigious” events in soulless stadiums carrying sparse crowds? I’m not surprised so many players are quick to skip such events.

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LR: It might not be building to a Grand Slam, but the Asian swing is still important. The race for lucrative ATP World Tour Finals and WTA Finals spots give the top players a lot to play for, not to mention the always enthralling jostle for end-of-year ranking positions. There are lots of ranking points on offer too, meaning all players have incentive to finish the season strongly to boost their ranking and start the new season in the best position possible.