LONDON — Serena Williams has criticized tennis’ anti-doping system ahead of her return to Wimbledon, calling it “unprofessional” and “unfounded.”
Williams, 44, returned to the testing pool before she could announce her return to professional tennis and was asked on Sunday about her experience with the rules.
“It’s grueling. Now they’ve changed the rules. I didn’t know some of the rules. So obviously if you miss a test outside the window, it still counts as missed. I guess I can’t go pick up my kids,” said the seven-time Wimbledon champion and mother of two. “This is unprofessional. I hate this. I think it’s necessary, but I think a lot of it is: If I want to go somewhere outside the window, I should be able to go without it being counted as a missed test.”
Williams’ first match at a grass-based Grand Slam since 2022 will take place on Tuesday when she faces Maia Joynt. The veteran returned to the sport this month in a doubles match at the Queen’s Club grass tournament.
The anti-doping protocol came under the spotlight last week when Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, became the latest high-profile player to be sanctioned when she was banned for four years for refusing to take a test.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency requires players to report their whereabouts daily for testing without prior notice.
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Williams called it “unfounded.”
“That was a big reason why I didn’t want to go back either,” she said, “because it’s so hard. I mean, my life is busy. I run a company, I run a venture capital firm, I travel the world. I have children.
The ITIA told The Associated Press in response to Williams’ comments that the rules have remained the same for years.
“If a tester fails to contact a player within the allotted hour, then this could well be a ‘strike’, and three failures could result in a charge. If a tester is unable to contact a player outside of their allotted hour, it is not considered a strike,” the ITIA said about the whereabouts rules.
In 2023, Jenson Brooksby was given an 18-month ban after an independent tribunal found he had missed three drug tests during the year.
Under anti-doping rules, athletes can be fined without testing positive if they have three “failures to locate” within 12 months.
“There have been no changes to the location rules over the past few years,” ITIA added in its statement. “We understand that the system may seem complex, but it is designed to protect players, not confuse them. If players are unsure or have questions, we are happy to speak with them directly or through their agents.”
Williams, who has previously criticized the frequency of anti-doping tests, said she was willing to comply and has “always been very clear about what I do.”
“Just getting into the routine of, okay, learning the new rules first and then just coming back and reporting every day,” she said. “I think I’ll be in a different place for 24 hours now – at least for me. I don’t know if it will work for everyone else.”