Thanks to Phillip for writing this guest post for the blog:
Richard Gasquet, another case of too much too young

Richard Gasquet’s provisional suspension for a failed drugs test is the latest in a long line of tennis doping controversies. The Frenchman has stated his innocence, but should he receive a full ban it should not be necessarily assumed that his career has been ruined.

Jennifer Capriati’s wayward teenage years appeared to typify the phenomenon of tennis ‘burnout’, whereby talented young players go off the rails, unable to cope with the pressure, riches and difficulties of top level sport.

Capriati did not play on the WTA tour for 15 months after being arrested for marijuana possession and shoplifting at the age of 17. Her reaching of the French Open semi final as a 14-year old appeared likely to be the biggest achievement of her career.

However, Capriati bounced back to forge a highly successful professional career that included three grand slam victories. Gasquet, a child prodigy like Capriati, will hope the similarities stretch far enough for him to be a multiple grand slam winner.

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Guillermo Coria bounced back from a failed nandrolone test to reach the French Open final, although his suspension was overturned due to the faulty legal supplements he was taking. Nonetheless, the pressure of a high profile drugs case must have been distracting, but was not a barrier to a successful career.

The road back will not necessarily be an easy one for the world number 23. Petr Korda and Martina Hingis are just two top players to have had glittering careers cut short by doping offences, although injury was the main reason for the ‘Swiss miss’ retiring early.

Tennis players who succeed at a young age are clearly more prone to these drug-related problems (Gasquet, Korda, Coria, Capriati and Hingis were all outstanding juniors who started on the adult tours as teenagers).

Whatever happens to Gasquet some lessons need to be learned from the latest tennis doping case – junior stars need to be protected from the pressure of tennis fame and prepared for professional careers.