Serena Williams gets tested a lot by the Anti-Doping people (USADA). Just how much she gets tested compared to other tennis players is a conversation worth having. It’s a complicated conversation, and the “doping” part often gets confused with the Therapeutic Use Exemption conversation. All professional tennis players have to submit a list of medications they are on, and those medications have to be vetted and approved by the Anti-Doping agencies. Serena Williams has a history of life-threatening blood clots and she’s on a steady regimen of anticoagulants. She’s also gotten a few TUEs over her career for things like antihistamines while she was sick during a tournament. The TUEs often get conflated with “doping,” but they’re not the same thing, as Serena patiently explained back in Indian Wells this year.
Just before Wimbledon, Deadspin published an interesting article about how Serena “refused” to take a test at one point this year. The Anti-Doping person had come to her house while she was not there, and then the person refused to leave. Serena apparently called the WTA CEO to complain about how often she was being tested, especially considering that, at the time, she was ranked outside the top 100. As of late June, Serena had already been tested five times in 2018, and this was how it compared to other American tennis players:
According to the USADA database, Sloane Stephens was tested once; Venus Williams was tested twice; Madison Keys was tested once; Coco Vandeweghe was tested twice; Danielle Collins was tested zero times; Alison Riske was tested zero times; Bernarda Pera was tested zero times; and Taylor Townsend was tested zero times. Williams was also tested more than any of the top five American male players.
Again, that was in late June. Serena just provided an update:
…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 #StayPositive
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 25, 2018
But I’m ready to do whatever it takes to have a clean sport so bring it on. I’m excited.
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) July 25, 2018
“Discrimination? I think so.” I think so as well. I also think it’s shady as hell that we’re constantly getting these kinds of updates on Serena’s testing – not to mention the fact that she’s being tested once a month – and not hearing about players who, you know, have actually been suspended for doping. Like Maria Sharapova.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid and Pacific Coast News.
I’m in favor of WAY more tests, especially unanounced ones. But not just for Serena. Everybody should be tested monthly if possible.
I totally agree. Monthly testing everyone will mean less career ruining drug scandals because they’ll know they’ll be caught.
Basically no sport really cares about this. Doping is incredibly widespread.
and, from what I’ve read, that’s what Serena W wants, too.
she said she doesn’t mind being tested, it’s that it’s much more frequent for her. her argument is “test ALL OF US that often”.
Absolutely racially motivated. This is bullshit! Test ALL the players.
I 100% agree.
This is infuriating. That organization has always been chomping at the bit to discredit her in some way.
This. They are furious that a WOC is dominating in a primarily white people sport. Just can’t wrap their heads around the fact that it’s pure talent and not drugs. I don’t even care about tennis, but it infuriates me that Serena is subjected to such blatant prejudice.
you know if it were Anna Kournikova or some other petite pretty blond becky winning all those titles, she wouldn’t be tested as often as Serena.
More than likely, it’s pregnancy motivated. She gave birth, which meant getting back into shape at age 36. Not easy to do naturally.
Not sure as of the 8 women mentioned above 4 are African American, 5 of 9 if you include Serena. If you are getting technical Madison Keyes’ father was African American and her mother is Caucasian. Still this seems set against Serena, not sure why. I thought pregnancy too, but I think this started before that.
Big shout out to US women’s tennis. Great for the diversity. Sloane, Madison and Taylor are some of the newer players following in Serena’s footsteps.
I believe her.
What other possible reason is there for this other than discrimination? None, that’s what. It’s outrageous.
Exactly. Why on Earth is she being tested more than Sharapova, Cilic, and Gasquet? They’ve all been suspended for doping. People will argue it’s because of her time off or her TUEs. If that were true, Azarenka, Djokovic, and Venus would be tested just as much. I’ve also seen the argument that she has a responsibility to be tested more as the world’s best player. If that’s true, why aren’t Federer and Nadal on her testing schedule?
Hindulovegod, 👍🏻👍🏻. It’s racism AND sexism.
Nadal was on a crazy testing schedule years ago, because he was winning a lot, having injury breaks, then coming back and winning a lot again. Djokovic too. Anytime an athlete has long injury breaks, time off or comes back from ‘retirement’, they get tested a lot. The prime time athletes at this level to dope is during their off-periods or during a comeback.
Serena’s been the most tested player longer-term because she used to play and win doubles a lot while also playing and winning in single competition. Players get tested more when they win, and with the doubles she was often winning twice as much as other top players.
She was ranked low recently, but that’s not really an argument when she was being given the place of a much higher ranking by tournaments. If she was being treated like 183 when she returned that would be a different story, but she wasn’t, so she got treated like a high ranked player by the testers too. You don’t get the perks of being a top athlete without getting the negatives along with it.
The player you mentioned aren’t Americans. This is the USDA testing site, and only American players info is published on the site. I don’t know if other countries publish how many tests each athlete takes or not, but none of those people or any non-American is listed so we don’t know how many times they were tested.
Good news sort of for Serena. She was tested just as much as the top ranked US male tennis player, Isner- (he’s white) However, she wasn’t the top ranked woman this year. Depending on the time of year it was either Sloane or Venus.-both African American. So they should have been tested more than her. Maybe they just didn’t get the memo that Serena was out with her baby. But who are we kidding she is still number one.
I understand her issue, I mean Venus is her sister she saw her ranked higher and tested less. Kind of stupid, but a compliment in one way they still think of you as number 1.
I don’t know how it works in tennis – but in other sports if you refuse a test or are not where you declared you were going to be and therefore miss a test – then it counts as a failed test which usually triggers most frequent testing.
She was where she said she would be. Serena complies with the requirement for time she must be available at a designated location. The issue is that the testers are showing up outside those times and places and demanding access. It’s a scandal for the testing agency.
I could understand that but how does that work when they show up unannounced?
You have to give them a complete schedule of your life. Write down where you are at all times. If you go shopping you have to write it in your schedule an hour before leaving the house, if you go to a party of friends you have to give the address and time you’ll be there, as they might show up there as well, etc. You can’t do anything without giving previous notice to your NADA.
Refusing a drug test kind of makes the person look guilty, so I can see why that person would be tested more frequently and unannounced. I’m positive Serena isn’t taking drugs, and if someone has nothing to hide, just take the test announced or unannounced
The issue is that the testers violated the rules, not Serena. She did not refuse any of the sanctioned drug tests. She simply reported a rogue tester who showed up at her home and demanded access outside of the protocol.
Testees are given a window for when the drug test could be. The tester arrived at least 12 hours ahead of that window. That’s like verizon showing up the day before a scheduled call, of course she wasn’t there. She has a life.
@Lunde & all, in the linked article – this was truly a surprise test and there was no wrongdoing on Serena’s part
“According to the USADA website, athletes may be required to provide what’s called “whereabouts information.” This means that every day of the year, athletes give the USADA a 60-minute availability window during which an officer can show up and administer drug tests. If the athlete is not available during that window, or if they fail to file their whereabouts information, it is a whereabouts failure. According to USADA, if an athlete accrues three whereabouts-related failures in a 12-month span, it counts as a doping rule violation. However, the USADA also has the “ability to test athletes without any advance notice in an out-of-competition setting.” If an athlete is not available during these tests, Horn said, there is no whereabouts failure.
The Williams drug test mission on June 14 was the type that is not required to fall within the availability window, which, Horn said, is why there was no whereabouts failure and why the USADA says Williams is in good standing. But the question of why Williams has been so aggressively tested remains.”
I think getting tested once a month is about the right level for a top athlete. In tennis, the rankings are flawed when players go on a break, causing Serena to be ranked much lower than her actual capabilities. For example, Serena was the favorite (5/4 odds) to win Wimbledon despite not being ranked in the top 100. Her complaint that she was tested despite being out of the top 100 is not justified.
It is not right, though, that other top athletes in the same sport aren’t also tested as frequently.
This! Testing should be done for all the top athletes.
This is a warning to every woman out there who dares to be successful, have a happy marriage with another successful guy, so both are equal and dare to become a mother on top of that. What the male population is trying to tell all of women is: KNOW YOUR PLACE IN THE KITCHEN BY THE HOB AND STFU. AS A WOMAN YOU ARE BY DEFAULT GARBAGE AND ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE IT ALL!!!!!!
So they keep testing her and testing her in the hope that either
a) she will slip up as she didn’t declare an extra aspirin or
b) Break down and give up and go home again proving women are unable to be a wife, mother and the BEST OF THE BEST, THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME.
So well done for speaking up and calling them out.
P.s: when will the world learn that women are done sitting quietly in a corner and quiet. Women are humans as well with the same rights. And I did a fact check on that. Women are humans. This is not facke news. * Sigh* when will the world catch up on this one… * Sigh*
Try not to get discouraged, Mona cause you are right, we are done sitting quietly in a corner.
We are women, hear our ROAR….and watch whilst we scare the bejeesus out of the privileged many
*regimen 😂
Obviously, they are trying to find something. I hope they never do as it would be heartbreaking. Keep being you, Serena.
I assume she’s breastfeeding Olympia, so to test Serena as frequently as they do, they must think she doesn’t give a damn about the harm she could be doing to her baby. And anybody with eyes can see she’s head over heels in love with that adorable little girl. So….
Serena pees in a cup and gives a small sample of blood and that’s somehow hurts her baby? How?
Jamie is saying if Serena was doping the drugs would be going to the baby through her breastmilk.
Just came to say that I love that the GOAT is rocking fishnets in one of the photos of her playing!!
This is standard for athletes that are apart of these elite in their sport. Williams may not officially seeded in the top at the moment but she is in the top. Just a couple of months ago a female competitor in swimming won a couple of competions and broke some world records at the same time. She got tested after each which is not easy in an professional swim suit they are hell to get on and hell to get of especially when wet. It’s the rules. I don’t think that this cas is discrimination due to Williams status and accomplishments. They proctect her and show that she’s achieved everything fair and square and that she’s a role model to young budding female athletes of all levels.