Serena Williams critiques anti-doping system as 'unreasonable' - ESPN

LONDON — Serena Williams took aim at tennis' anti-doping system ahead of her Wimbledon return, calling it «unprofessional» and «unreasonable.»

Williams, 44, returned to the testing pool before she could announce her comeback to professional tennis and was asked Sunday about her experiences complying with the rules.

«It's grueling. They changed the rules now. I didn't know some of the rules. So apparently if you miss a test outside of your window, it still counts as missed. I'm like, I guess I can't go pick up my kids,» said the seven-time Wimbledon champion and a mother of two. «It's unprofessional. I hate it. I think it's necessary, but I think a lot of the stuff, if I want to go places outside of my window, I should be able to go without having it count as a missed test.»

Williams' first match at the grass-court Grand Slam since 2022 will take place Tuesday when she faces Maya Joint. The veteran returned to the sport this month in a doubles match at the Queen's Club grass-court tournament.

The anti-doping protocol was in the spotlight last week when Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, became the latest high-profile player sanctioned when she was suspended for four years for refusing a test.

Players are required by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to provide their daily whereabouts for no-notice testing.

Williams described it as «unreasonable.»

«That was a big reason why I didn't want to come back either,» she said, «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.»

The ITIA, in response to Williams' comments, told The Associated Press that the