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Tennis Scandals: A History of Comebacks and Fallen Stars
It seems to happen more and more these days.
A famous athlete becomes embroiled in controversy or scandal, takes time off to nurse their personal life back to health then attempts to regain their previous level of professional success, usually with less than spectacular results.
The most prevalent example of late is the case of Tiger Woods, who took time off from the PGA Tour to attend to his sex addiction and failed marriage. Since his return, he has not won a tournament, and finished tied for 46 at the AT&T National, his worst performance as a professional.
The tennis world is hardly a stranger to scandal, both on the court and off it. Those who have been at the heart of those controversies are a mixed bag of results.
Here’s a look at the post-scandal triumphs and tragedies of some of tennis’ most well-known players.
The Comebacks
1) Jennifer Capriati: In the mid 1990s, she looked like the poster child for an “E! True Hollywood Story,” going from national tennis darling to shoplifter, drug rehab patient and daughter of a broken marriage. By 1998, she was ranked No. 267 in the world then fought back to 23rd at the end of 1999. In 2001, she won the Australian and French Opens and finished the year ranked No. 1. She added another Australian Open crown in 2002.
2) Monica Seles: She had won eight Grand Slam singles by April 13, 1993, when she was shockingly stabbed in the back during a quarterfinal in Hamburg by Guenter Parche, a fan obsessed with Steffi Graf and seeking to “help” her return to the No. 1 spot in the world. Seles missed two years and three months recovering from the physical and emotional toll, arguably the prime of her career in spite of the amazing accomplishments she had already racked up. She added an eighth Grand Slam at the 1996 Australian Open, and reached the finals of three other Slams before retiring in 2003.
 3) Andre Agassi: Fell apart and nearly out of the rankings as he battled a failed marriage to actress Brooke Shields and an addiction to crystal meth, which wasn’t revealed until recently). Agassi had three Grand Slam titles before the trouble, but returned better than ever. Between 1999 and 2003, he five more including winning the Australian Open three times.
4) Nikolay Davydenko: The year was 2007, and Davydenko was ranked No. 4 in the world when he withdrew from a match in Poland while trailing 6-2, 3-6, 1-2. For unknown reasons, more than $7 million were bet on Davydenko to lose his second round match against Martin Vassallo Arguello. Betfair, an online gambling organization, said the amount spent was about 10 times the norm for a second-round match.  What was even more confusing was that most of the bets against Davydenko were made after he won the first set. Betfair voided all bets on the match and reimbursed the gamblers. It took seven months before Davydenko was cleared, but he didn’t let the negativity get him down. He finished in the Top 5 in 2008, winning three titles including Miami, where he KO’ed Andy Roddick in the semifinals and Rafael Nadal in the final. He won five titles in 2009, and beat Nadal again for a title at Doha in 2010. He also reached the finals of the Australian Open, losing to Roger Federer.
Never The Same
 1) Martina Hingis: She was the youngest Grand Slam champion ever at age 16, and spent 209 straight weeks at No. 1, including all of 1999 and 2000. She had five Grand Slam titles between 1997 and 1999, but injuries wore her down and she missed all of 2003 and 2004. She returned and reached three Grand Slam quarterfinals in 2006 and 2007, then tested positive cocaine at Wimbledon in 2007. She vehemently denied the test, but retired on Nov. 1, 2007, with a two-year ban from playing professionally. She returned to World Team Tennis in 2010 and played a few Masters’ level doubles events, but has said she will not attempt a comeback to the WTA despite still only being 29 years old.
2) Mats Wilander: Claims he “unknowingly” used cocaine during the 1995 French Open, an event that got both he and doubles partner Karel Novacek suspended from the ATP Tour for three months. Wilander was 32 in 1995, with seven Grand Slam crowns under his belt. He actually fought his way back into the Top 50 by the end of 1995, but his career fell apart afterwards, bottoming out with a ranking of 716th when he retired in the summer of 1997.
3) Mariano Puerta: He burst into the Top 12 in the summer of 2005 after reaching the finals of the French Open, and stayed there through the rest of the year. Previously suspended and fined for a positive test on clenbuterol, he was found to be taking a cardiac stimulant. The International Tennis Federation didn’t fool around this time, leveling Puerta’s career with an eight-year ban. If you’re interested, he’s eligible to play again on Dec. 21, 2013, when he’ll be 35 years old.
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