Tennis is in the middle of a storm, and this time, it’s not about on-court drama. Allegations of unfair treatment have taken center stage, with doping cases and legal battles shaking up the sport. First, the doping violations of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek raised eyebrows. Many players, including Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka, spoke up, questioning the system. The relatively short bans of three months for Sinner and one month for Swiatek only fueled the controversy. Things were escalated further. The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) has launched a full-blown lawsuit against tennis’ governing bodies—ATP, WTA, ITF, and ITIA. Their complaint being “draconian” and “abusive” practices that they claim violate players’ rights. Now, Serena Williams’ ex-coach is also making his thoughts known.
The PTPA, which was co-founded by Novak Djokovic five years ago, is taking legal action on behalf of players worldwide. Their grievances include an “unsustainable” 11-month calendar, unfair prize money distribution, and invasive drug-testing procedures. The lawsuit spans across jurisdictions in the US, UK, and EU, making it a massive legal showdown.
One of the biggest concerns is how doping tests are conducted. The PTPA claims that players are subjected to “invasive searches of personal devices, random middle-of-the-night drug tests, and interrogations without legal representation.” The organization further alleges that the ITIA has suspended players “without due process based on flimsy or fabricated evidence.” The filing even accuses tennis authorities of illegally searching players’ phones without consent. That, according to the PTPA, is a “gross invasion of privacy” and a “violation of the law.”
Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams’ former coach, weighed in on the situation. In an Instagram video, he explained, “I understand the fact that players don’t like the fact that there are so many controls because it’s very uncomfortable. The guys show up at seven in the morning. It’s for example, a day where the player can rest during a tournament. It affects your private life and your recovery. So I understand, and it’s very heavy because you have to enter every day your location so they can come whenever they want. But this is the idea. The idea is that you can be controlled any time so if you know when you are going to be controlled, it leaves more room for people to cheat. So I don’t think this is a bad thing.”
However, Mouratoglou pointed out the real issue—unequal treatment. He said,”I think, what is really really a problem there are several things. The first thing is: unequal treatment. This is a really big thing. Some players are controlled 80 times per year. Some other 30. Why? Why not the same rules for everyone? First question. Second. When they are control positive completely different. Whether you are someone very important, important or not important at all.”
This discrimination is something Serena Williams had herself admitted to before. In 2018, the 23-time Grand Slam champion found out that she was the most drug tested American player. An article by the website Deadspin revealed that Williams had been tested more than twice as many times as other top American players – male or female. Upon the news, Williams took to X and wrote, “…and it’s that time of the day to get ‘randomly’ drug tested and only test Serena. Out of all the players it’s been proven I’m the one getting tested the most. Discrimination? I think so. At least I’ll be keeping the sport clean.”
And there was a time when she missed one of the tests. What happened then?
When Serena Williams missed a doping test
On June 14, 2018, a USADA tester arrived at her home at 8:30 a.m. for a surprise drug test. However, because the visit fell outside her designated one-hour “whereabouts” window, she was not at home. The tester initially refused to leave without a sample but eventually marked it as a missed test before leaving. With three missed tests in 12 months counting as a violation, it was a tense moment for the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Williams later addressed the situation during a press conference at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships. She said, “My time was actually 12 hours later. For some reason, they showed up in the morning, which they are allowed to do. And if I’m not there, then they just leave. For whatever reason, they didn’t leave.”
The American tennis icon further added, “They said, ‘I can come back.’ I was like, ‘I’m totally not in the area because my hour is actually a long time from now. I’m completely so far away. For me, it’s a little frustrating. How can I have a missed test when it’s nowhere near the time I should be there? I’m still trying to figure out why and how that happened.”
With legal battles heating up and more players voicing concerns, tennis finds itself in murky waters. Do you think this lawsuit holds weight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The post “Affects Your Private Life and…,” Years After Serena Williams’ “Discriminatory” Doping Tests, Ex Coach Opens Up on the Present as History Repeats Itself appeared first on EssentiallySports.