Serena Williams has launched a fierce criticism of tennis’ anti-doping policy ahead of her long-awaited debut. Wimbledon back, labeling the current protocol “unprofessional” and “irrational” while agreeing to the rules prevented him from returning to professional tennis.The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who also entered a drug testing facility before confirming his comeback, said keeping up with recent events was one of the hardest parts of his return to the tour.“It’s difficult. They changed the rules now. I didn’t know the other rules,” Williams said ahead of her first appearance at Wimbledon since 2022.“Obviously if you miss a test outside your window, it’s like 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 Tuesday’s opening match after returning earlier this month twice at the Queen’s Club.
‘I hate it… it doesn’t make sense’
While acknowledging the importance of anti-doping measures, Williams questioned how the current system affects players who have busy lives away from the court.“It’s useless. I hate it,” he said. “I think it’s important, but I think a lot of things, if I want to go outside my window, I have to go without it being counted as a missed exam.”Williams went on to reveal that her intense training regimen was one of the main reasons she delayed her return to tennis.“That was the main reason I didn’t want to go back, because it’s very difficult. I mean, my life is busy. I run a company, I run a VC firm, I travel all over the world. I have children. It’s like I can be in many different cities most of the time,” he said.Describing the plan in one word, Williams added: “It’s a no-brainer.”
ITIA responds to Serena’s objection
Williams’ comments come just days after 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was banned for four years for failing a drug test, putting tennis’ probation system on hold.The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), however, rejected Williams’ suggestion that the rules would change soon.In its statement, the governing body said that “there has been no change in the current legislation in the last few years.”ITIA explained that a missed test outside the one-hour testing window for an athlete is not considered a hit, while three failures within 12 months can lead to anti-doping charges even without a positive test.Despite his disappointment, Williams insisted that he always supports 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, well, first of all, learning new rules, then just going back and reporting every day. I think now for 24 hours where I will be is different – at least for me. I don’t know if it works for anyone else”.
