‘I hate it … it doesn’t make sense’. Serena Williams calls out tennis’ anti-doping system ahead of Wimbledon return Tennis News:
Serena Williams has launched a scathing criticism of tennis’s anti-doping system ahead of what she has long expected. Wimbledon return, labeling parts of the current testing protocol “unprofessional” and “unreasonable” while admitting the rules almost convinced him not to return to professional tennis.The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who re-entered the anti-doping testing pool before confirming his return, said meeting the latest whereabouts requirements was one of the most difficult aspects of returning to the tour.“It’s scary. They changed the rules now. I don’t know some of the rules,” Williams said before her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2022.“Obviously if you miss a test outside your window, it still counts as a miss. I was like, I might not get my kids.”The 44-year-old, mother of two, is scheduled to face Maya Joint in the opening round this Tuesday after her return to competition earlier this month in doubles at the Queen’s Club.
“I hate it…it’s not fair”
While acknowledging the importance of anti-doping measures, Williams questioned the way the current system affects players who have more lives away from the court.“It’s not professional. I hate it,” he said. “I think it should, but I think a lot of things, if I want to go to places outside my window, I should be able to go without it counting as a missed test.”Williams revealed that the strict testing procedures were one of the biggest reasons she delayed her return to tennis.“That was a big reason why I don’t want to go back, because it’s very difficult. I mean, my life is busy. I manage a company, I manage a VC company, I travel around the world. I have children. It seems like I’m in many different cities at many times,” he said.Describing the system in one word, Williams added: “It doesn’t make sense.”
ITIA responded to Serena’s criticism
Williams’ comments came just days after 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova received a four-year suspension for refusing an anti-doping test, once again putting tennis’s testing system under the spotlight.The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), however, disputed Williams’ suggestion that the rules had recently changed.In a statement, the governing body said “there have been no changes to where the rules have been over the last few years.”The ITIA clarified that a missed test outside of a player’s allotted one-hour testing window is not considered a strike, while three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period can lead to anti-doping charges even without a positive test.Despite his disappointment, Williams insisted he has always supported fair play and remains committed to following the rules.“I’ve always been very clear about what I do,” he said. “Just getting into that routine of, okay, first of all, learn the new rules, then come back and report every day. I think now for 24 hours where I go is different – at least for me. I don’t know if it works for everyone.”
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