"Tennis drug testing is the most strenuous" –"Brutal" doping tests during off-season recalled by ex-ATP pros Steve Johnson, John Isner, Sam Querrey
Former tennis players Steve Johnson, John Isner, and Sam Querrey recently recalled their off-season doping test experiences. The trio shared their stories in the latest episode of the Nothing Major Podcast.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) observes a stringent anti-doping program that requires players to undergo drug tests at any point or place during a season. Under the decree, a player can be barred from competing on the tours upon failing to provide a sample on three occasions within 12 months.
Since Johnson, Isner, and Querrey have called time on their professional tennis careers, they are no longer bound to comply with the rules but they lived through some experiences even during the off-season.
"I think the tennis drug testing is the most strenuous and annoying," Johnson said. "For the four us, we had to give one hour a day where we would be every single day of the year, regardless and they can show up at any given time."
John Isner then revealed getting tested in the bathroom of an airport:
"I went to the airport with a drug tester because I had a flight. I’m like, ‘Dude, I have a flight at 8 am, I just went to the bathroom.’ He followed me to the Tampa Airport. I told him once I finish with the check-in process, I’ll likely have to go to the bathroom so I’m not going to go through security. I kind of told him that was the deal and he’s like, ‘All right!’.
"Sure enough, I checked my bags in. Had him go through the security and told him I could pee now and he would go to the airport bathroom, that happened one time. If you don’t give him that sample, it counts as a missed test. If you’ve three of those, as we’ve seen with Jenson Brooksby [Steve Johnson: Mikael Ymer]. The two big cases on the men’s side, just flat-out three missed tests. They got full-on suspended for 12 or 18 months."
At this, Sam Querrey added:
"I’ve had the same, I’ve gone to the airport with the drug tester and then he comes to the bathroom stall with me. We were together at the airport, it was absolutely brutal."
Jenson Brooksby and Mikael Ymer's bans from tennis
The two players that John Isner and Steve Johnson mentioned above—Jenson Brooksby and Mikael Ymer—failed to provide their whereabouts for respective drug tests thrice within 12 months and faced a ban.
Brooksby, the former World No. 33, was banned by the ITIA for 18 months in July 2023. The punishment meant he wouldn't be allowed to compete on the court till January 2025, however, the tennis body reduced the period to 13 months.
Similarly, Ymer was barred from the ATP Tour in July 2023 for 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after three "whereabouts failures" in 2021. The Swede will be eligible to play tennis professionally from January 2025 onwards.