‘I hate it… it’s unreasonable’: Serena Williams calls out for tennis anti-doping system ahead of Wimbledon return
Serena Williams during practice. (AP photo) Serena Williams has launched a scathing criticism of tennis’ anti-doping system ahead of her long-awaited return to Wimbledon, calling parts of the current testing protocol “unprofessional” and “unreasonable” while admitting the rules almost convinced her not to return to professional tennis.The 23-times Grand Slam singles champion, who re-entered doping testing before confirming her return, said meeting the latest residency requirements was one of the most difficult aspects of returning to the tour.“It’s exhausting. Now they’ve changed the rules. I didn’t know some of the rules,” Williams said ahead of her first Wimbledon appearance since 2022.“It seems if you miss a test outside the window it still counts as a miss. I guess I can’t go pick up my kids.”The 44-year-old mother-of-two will face Maya Joint in the opening round on Tuesday after making a competitive comeback in the doubles at Queen’s Club earlier this month.
‘I hate it… it’s unreasonable’
While Williams acknowledged the importance of anti-doping measures, he questioned the way the current system affects players with busy lives off the court.“It’s unprofessional. I hate it,” she said. “I think it’s necessary, but I think a lot of things, if I want to go somewhere outside of my window, I should be able to go without it counting as a missed test.”Williams further revealed that the rigorous 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 either, because it’s just so hard. I mean, my life is busy. I run a company, I run a VC firm, I travel the world. I have kids. It’s like I can be in so many different cities at so many different times,” she said.Williams described the system in one word, adding, “It’s unreasonable.”
ITIA responds to Serena’s criticism
Williams’ comments come just days after 2023 Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondrous was handed a four-year ban for failing a doping test, putting tennis’ testing system back in the spotlight.However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) disputed Williams’ suggestion that the rules had recently changed.In a statement, the governing body said “there have been no changes to residency rules over the past few years.”The ITIA clarified that missing a test outside a player’s one-hour testing window does not count as a strike, while three whereabouts failures within 12 months can lead to anti-doping charges even without a positive test.Despite her frustration, Williams insisted she has always supported clean sport and is committed to following the rules.“I was always clear about what I was doing,” she said. “Just getting into that routine, okay, learning the new rules first, then coming back and reporting every day. I think now 24 hours, where I’m going to be is just different – at least for me. I don’t know if it works for everyone else.”