“Hate … it’s unreasonable”: Serena Williams calls out the anti-doping system of tennis before the return of Wimbledon | Tennis news
Serena Williams has launched a scathing critique of tennis’ anti-doping system ahead of her long-awaited debut. Wimbledon return, branding 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 venue requirements was one of the toughest aspects of returning to the tour.“It’s grueling. They’ve changed the rules now. I don’t know some of the rules,” Williams said ahead of her first Wimbledon appearance since 2022.“Apparently if you miss a test outside your window, it still counts as a miss. I’m like, I don’t think I can go get my kids.”The 44-year-old mother of two will face Maya Joint in the opening round on Tuesday after making her competitive return earlier this month in doubles at Queen’s Club.
“I hate it… it’s unreasonable”
While acknowledging the importance of anti-doping measures, Williams questioned the way the current system affects players with busy lives off the court.“It’s unprofessional. I hate it,” he said. “I think it’s necessary, but I think a lot of things, if I want to go to places outside my window, I should be able to go without having it counted as a missed test.”Williams went on to reveal that the strict testing procedures were one of the biggest reasons why she delayed her return to tennis.“That was a big reason why I didn’t want to go back yet, because it’s just so hard. I mean, my life is busy. I run a company, I run a VC company, I travel the world. I have children. It’s like I could be in so many different cities so many different times,” he said.Describing the system in one word, Williams added: “It’s unreasonable.”
ITIA responds to Serena’s criticism
Williams’ comments come just days after 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova received a four-year ban for refusing an anti-doping test, 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 had been “no change in venue rules in recent years”.The ITIA clarified that a missed test outside the one-hour testing window allotted to a player does not count as a strike, while three spot failures in a 12-month period can lead to anti-doping charges even without a positive test.Despite his frustration, Williams insisted that he always supported clean sport and remained committed to respecting the rules.“I’ve always been very clear about what I do,” he said. “Just get into that routine of, okay, first of all, learn the new rules, then just come back and report every day. I think now for 24 hours where I have to be is just different – at least for me. I don’t know if it works for everyone else.”
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