Argentine tennis player seventh seeded in the ATP rankings, Martin Vassallo Arguello, talked about everything. Following Aggasi’s confessions, he talked about illegal gambling, drugs, Rafael Nadal, and the supposed tennis players’ “friendship” in the Davis Cup.
“I tried drugs and many, but none that would test positive or was illegal,” the tennis player blurted out.
“I think that Agassi wants to sell a few books,” he said when asked about the recent confession made by the former American tennis player.
“From then on, I feel that this clearly shows what many of us think and have no way to prove: If one of the top tens does something illegal, the first thing to protect is the business,” he said.
“If someone breaks the rules, they must be punished, because in the long run these cover-ups end up deteriorating the sport.”
“Once I tried marijuana and I don’t know whether I did wrong or it was of bad quality, but it didn’t have any effect on me.”
“As for legalization, there should be an analysis on whether the society is prepared for freedom of consumption. I think in Holland it’s ok.”
He also recalled that a while ago, he was associated with Nicolay Davydenko over an issue of illegal gambling from which he got out clean. “Being involved in an investigation over gambling didn’t bother me at all. However, I wasn’t satisfied with the result of the investigation. The ruling didn’t clarify our innocence at all. It rather talked about ’insufficient evidence’. It is hard to believe that someone with the rank and unblemished career like Davydenko would be engaged in illegal gambling. ”
 He also talked about his referents in tennis. “Santoro was the only player I asked to have a photograph with and sign it. I admire him the most. I feel he made the best out of his performance,” said Vassallo Arguello, who feels a special admiration for the French tennis player.
He was also asked about Rafael Nadal, who has always been suspected for the intake of steroids. Vassallo Arguello didn’t hesitate to defend him: “In 2002 I played against a very young Rafael Nadal and the first thing I said when I left the court (I lost 7-5 in the third set after a 3 hours and 40 minutes match) was: When did he have the time to develop such physical state if he’s only eight? It was a moment of fury because I was beat by a little boy, seven years younger than me. That’s why I made clear in what context I said that. I trully believe that Rafa is one of the healthiest guys I’ve met.”
With respect to the Davis Cup, he said “there is a misconception about the need of having a friendship in order to win the Davis Cup. I think the Davis Cup is a combination of individualities that we should try to strengthen. I shared only 5 days out of which 3 were matches, so there wasn’t a lot of ‘friendship’,” he concluded.
