Does anyone remember when world No. 1 tennis star Novak Djokovic was third best?

This weekend, Djokovic earned his first Monte Carlo title, beating eight-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets. For Nadal, who is widely considered the best clay-court player ever, the loss was his first defeat at the tournament in his last 47 matches there. For Djokovic, it was just one more step in the process of cementing his place as one of tennis’s all-time greats.

Because of this — and many other — momentous victories, it is difficult to remember that Djokovicwas not always the dominant force he is today. For years, he was mired in the shadows of Nadal and fellow phenom Roger Federer. There was a time when Djokovic was a talented yet surly youngster known for breaking rackets — not records — and never quite reaching the glory to which he came so close on numerous occasions.

Something changed between then and now, and whispered questions are snaking through the tennis world wondering just how Djokovic managed his meteoric rise to the top.

Djokovic joined the professional ranks in 2003 at age 16, broke into the world’s top 10 four years later and won his first Grand Slam at the 2008 Australian Open, finishing the year at No. 3. After his first Grand Slam win, however, Djokovic was unable to immediately replicate his success. In 2009, he did not reach a single semi-final in any of the Grand Slam tournaments and again finished the year at No. 3 in the world. In 2010, it was the same story: Djokovic struggled with his stamina and consistency, failing to notch another Grand Slam title and again closing out the year third in the rankings.

And then something happened: Djokovic began to win.

In what will be remembered as one of the best years in sports for a single athlete, 2011 brought unprecedented, consistent success for Novak Djokovic. The titles that had previously evaded him were suddenly attainable — and he beat both Federer and Nadal to earn them. Djokovic won not only three Grand Slam titles (the Australian Open, the Wimbledon Championships and the U.S. Open) but also set a new record for prize money won in a single ATP season with $12 million. Djokovic finished the season with a 70-6 record and the No. 1 ranking in the world. He managed to sustain his high level of play in 2012, winning the Australian Open and ATP World Tour Finals while also receiving the honor of ITF World Champion. For Djokovic, this year is going in the same direction as the past two, with another Australian Open victory and the previously mentioned victory over the King of Clay in Monte Carlo.

While there is no denying Djokovic’s talent, skill and dedication, his abrupt jump from permanent runner-up to best in the world raised some eyebrows — as well as the voices of those advocating for stricter performance-enhancing drug testing in tennis.

Djokovic credits his decision to switch to a gluten-free diet in early 2011 as a key reason for his increased stamina and improved movement. While this could very well have been the extra boost thatDjokovic needed to complete his ascension to No. 1, the use of PEDs in cycling, track and field, MLB and the NFL has thrown suspicion on athletes in all sports, and Djokovic is not exempt.

Tennis has a reputation for being as spotless as the Wimbledon whites, but this is  largely due only to the fact that the current drug-testing system would catch only the dimmest of cheaters. Most of theIFC-administered drug testing happens during competition, despite the fact that most doping occurs during training. Furthermore, the majority of IFC drug tests are urine tests, which do not catch drugs like EPO that increase the oxygen in an athlete’s blood to improve endurance. In fact, according to theIFC, only 21 out-of-competition blood tests were administered in 2011.

Unlike cycling and baseball fans, tennis fans are not yet cynically disillusioned with the sport. We want to believe that Djokovic’s inspiring triumphs are simply the products of an adjusted diet; we want to attribute Federer’s smooth stamina solely to his tough conditioning routine; and we want to think Serena Williams’ brawny muscles are a result of only her strength-training workouts.

Unfortunately, due to the incompetence of the IFC, we can no longer maintain our naivete. The seemingly universal steroid usage in other sports has made us question the accomplishments of tennis players. The connection of tennis stars such as Sara Errani, David Ferrer and Maria Kirilenkoto Luis Garcia del Moral (the doctor who was banned for life by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for helping Lance Armstrong and his team execute their doping strategy) has led us to doubt their honesty. Calls for stricter drug testing by players, including Djokovic, have forced us to think that PEDuse in tennis is more common than we thought.

The need for more stringent PED testing measures in tennis is real, not only to save the reputations of true champions from suspicion but also to preserve the integrity of the game.

As for Djokovic, it’s clear that he has earned a place in tennis history, but it is a tragedy for the sport that the IFC’s failure to thoroughly test for PEDs has sullied his achievements with doubt.

Laura Wagner is a sophomore in the College. This is the final appearance of GAME OF CHANGE this semester.