International Tennis Integrity Agency says Novak Djokovic did not refuse doping test before Davis Cup match: Reports

Novak Djokovic's doping test controversy has finally cooled off, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) coming out in his support.

Djokovic recently expressed dismay at being asked to take a surprise doping test 90 minutes before his singles match, during Serbia's Davis Cup quarterfinal against Great Britain. The anti-doping controller reportedly followed the 36-year-old for hours before they eventually conducted blood and urine tests.

“It’s the first time it’s happened to me," Djokovic said during his press conference after the Davis Cup quarterfinals. "It doesn’t make sense to do it when I’ll be there after the match. They gave me an hour and a half’s notice. I have my pre-match routines and I don’t have to think at that point about donating blood or urine."

"I argued with him because that hasn’t happened to me in my 20-year career," he added. "He sat in a corner and followed me for hours. It was outrageous. I’ve always defended controls, but not before matches. There’s nothing to hide, but there have to be certain limits.”

Several reports subsequently claimed that Novak Djokovic had refused to comply with the rules. The ITIA, however, has now stated that he didn't miss the test, and that players at last week's Davis Cup had a choice to submit their blood sample either before or after their match.

An ITIA spokesperson said, as reported by l'Equipe:

"The first thing to say is that Djokovic did not refuse the test. The rules state that when a player is notified, they must provide a sample as soon as they can. In team competitions such as the Davis Cup, players may be informed before a match, whereas in other competitions testing usually takes place after the match. The procedure has not been changed, either for this event or for the player."

"In Davis Cup, teams are notified before the start of the match."This allows players to choose if they prefer to do it before their match, otherwise it will be after, a member of the organization told us. They have a choice. Some players prefer to do it before, it frees them up after the meeting, which is also not bad, they avoid staying on site too long after the end of a meeting..."

"Disgusting, it’s shameful and completely unjustified" - Novak Djokovic's surprise doping test criticized by former Wimbledon champ Marion Bartoli

Novak Djokovic at the 2023 US Open

2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli recently spoke out against the ITIA's handling of doping tests. She said samples should be taken after the match as dehydration during the game results in higher urinary concentration.

"When you know you're going to have a doping test, you have someone following you all day. As soon as you leave the court, he follows you, he is in the locker room when you take your shower. And if you can't go to the bathroom he accompanies you to a press conference until you can urinate," Bartoli said via welovetennis.fr.

"So I don't see what difference it makes whether it's done before or after, especially since after the matches the urinary concentration is greater because during the match there is a dehydration effect. The 'trial' that we tried to do against Djokovic is linked to this British press which knows nothing, and which allows itself to accuse the players, it’s disgusting, it’s shameful and completely unjustified," she added.