Look out.... Serena is in as good shape as she has been in.... half-dozen years?

The Williams sisters have a history of injuries. Not sure whether HGH is involved but for women who look as athletic as hell, they sure are fragile.

 

She's a dude [/carrottop]

 

So is every other tennis player on the planet.

 

Don't remember Chris and Martina getting hurt this much.

 

Re: Look out.... Serena is in as good shape as she has been in.... half-dozen ye

There were not nearly as many hard-court tournaments (or as many tournaments at all) in that era.

The surface is unforgiving as hell at that level.

Check the short careers of Andrea Jaeger and Tracy Austin.

 

Or Kimmie Clijsters.

 

Re: Look out.... Serena is in as good shape as she has been in.... half-dozen ye

Maybe their careers were short because they weren't very good. Most of them burn out at 26 anyway.
That's not my point. My point is that the Williams sisters are the most athletic-looking women in sports. I would presume they have access to modern training techniques, nutrition and personal trainers, plus all modern sports medicine.

Why the hell do they get hurt so often? I'd say it's just bad luck if it was just one of them, but it's both of them.

 

Re: Look out.... Serena is in as good shape as she has been in.... half-dozen ye

And maybe they destroy their shoulder (Jaeger) or their back (Austin)?

Maybe they weren't very good?

Maybe you should post on a subject you know something about.

Tennis ain't it.

Why is reed-thin Venus or (usually somewhat) overweight Serena more "athletic looking" than Ivanovic or Davenport or Vaidisova or Jankovic or any of dozens of athletically sculpted female tennis players?

I know the "answer." Just can't wait to see it.

Henin (virus), Hingis (foot), Capriati (shoulder), Davenport (back, knee) and Clijsters (wrist) each missed virtually entire seasons (or more) with injuries.

Fact is, many players play through injuries to preserve precious ranking points (or because of a paycheck). Williams sisters don't. Serena doesn't mind falling to No. 8 (or No. 81, as was the case a year ago). They can win from anywhere in the draw. They have other interests. And they don't need the money.

 

I think we already know where hondo is coming from, but he's not the only one ready to toss around accusations just because the Williams sisters get hurt a lot.

Maybe that is just the modern sports world. Or maybe some of us are just too damn quick to throw accusations out there.

 

Tennis tests for drugs a lot, just like track and field does.

If anybody's using HGH or something that no test exists for, they're going to get away with for obvious reasons, but tennis has suspended a lot of people for drug use over the years, esp. amphetimines, although something tells me BTExpress would know more about it than I do.

I also think you're right, oop, about people being very quick to throw out accusations these days.

 

People are just so jaded when it comes to PED's that, fair or not people are quick to assume.
To me, it just wouldn't shock me any more if anybody were to test positive.

 

Re: Look out.... Serena is in as good shape as she has been in.... half-dozen ye

Top tennis players are subject to what's called a Whereabouts Pool, through which they must register home and training addresses for no-notice, out-of-competition testing.

There is no set number of tests per player. One positive test for a PED results in disqualification from an event and a two-year suspension; a second failed test triggers a lifetime ban.

Tennis players are scared to take cold medicines for fear it could trigger a positive result.

Those who willingly take PEDs are stupid and/or desperate. Serena is neither.