Serena Williams Criticizes ‘Unreasonable’ Anti-Doping Rules Ahead Of Wimbledon Return

Serena Williams

Serena Williams Criticizes ‘Unreasonable’ Anti-Doping Rules Ahead Of Wimbledon Return

#SerenaWilliams is back on the tennis court, but not without frustrations.

Speaking to reporters ahead of her Wimbledon singles opener, the 23-time Grand Slam champion unloaded on the sport’s anti-doping protocols, calling the requirements a major burden on her day-to-day life and admitting they nearly stopped her from returning altogether. Williams described the process as “grueling,” taking specific issue with a rule that counts a missed test against a player even when they were simply outside their designated availability window — saying, “I guess I can’t go pick up my kids.” She acknowledged testing is necessary but insisted there has to be a better way, adding, “There has to be a different way to make it reasonable, because that’s just unreasonable … I run a company, I run a VC company, I travel the world, I have children.”

The system requires the top 100 singles players to register a daily one-hour availability window with the International Tennis Integrity Agency and keep the ITIA updated on their exact whereabouts at all times. Missing tests carries real consequences — American player Jenson Brooksby received an 18-month ban for missing three tests within a year. The ITIA pushed back on Williams’ complaints, clarifying that a missed test only counts as a strike when a tester can’t reach a player during their designated hour, not outside of it. Williams opens her #Wimbledon singles campaign Tuesday against 20-year-old Maya Joint.