"Absolutely no reason for this kind of invasive and targeted treatment": When Serena Williams refused drug test amid discriminatory 'frequent' testing
Serena Williams once alleged that she was subjected to discriminatory and targeted treatment by the doping authorities after missing a drug test. The controversy ensued when a tester for the US Anti-Doping Agency visited the American at her Florida home, only to discover she was not present.
On June 14, 2018, a USADA tester arrived at Williams' home at 8:30 a.m. to administer a surprise doping test. However, as the time fell outside the hour-long 'whereabouts' window the American had provided regarding her availability for testing, she was not present at home.
Despite initially insisting on not leaving without a sample, the tester eventually recorded the instance as a missed test before vacating the former World No. 1's property. Given that three missed tests in a 12-month period count as a doping violation, it was a less than ideal situation for the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Amid the ensuing discourse, a report by Deadline highlighted that Williams was tested five times in 2018, which marked a sharp contrast to several of her fellow players who hadn't been tested at all.
As Serena Williams geared up for her campaign at the Wimbledon Championships, a spokesperson for the American addressed the missed drug test.
They emphasized that the 23-time Grand Slam champion had never tested positive for any banned substances despite being tested much more frequently than other players.
"Over her 23-year career in tennis, Serena Williams has never tested positive for any illegal substance despite being tested significantly more than other professional tennis players, both male and female – in fact, four times more frequently than her peers," Serena Williams' spokesperson said as quoted by the Mirror.
The spokesperson also asserted that while the American had consistently complied with USADA's protocols and submitted to standard testing, she opposed the "invasive and targeted" treatment on display.
"She has vocally supported, respected and complied with USADA testing throughout her entire career. While she willingly continues to submit to testing, there is absolutely no reason for this kind of invasive and targeted treatment," they added.
Serena Williams: "My time was actually 12 hours later ... How can I have a missed test when it's nowhere near the time I should be there?"
Serena Williams broke her silence on missing the drug test in a press conference at the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, clarifying that her 'whereabouts' window was 12 hours later than when the USADA tester arrived.
"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," she said.
"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,'" she added.
The American also expressed her frustration over the incident being recorded as a "missed test."
"I guess they decided it was a missed test, which really doesn't make sense. Anyone would logically think about that, and I would otherwise have to be home 24 hours a day, or I get a missed test," Serena Williams said.
"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. We're in that together," she added.
On the tennis front, Serena Williams produced a stellar run at Wimbledon, finishing as the runner-up to Angelique Kerber, who claimed a 6-3, 6-3 victory to clinch her third Grand Slam title.