Serena Williams is the latest top tennis player to speak out about the new drug testing rules implemented by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
The Aussie Open champion said that the new rules were “over the top”.
“I think it’s too much… It’s very invasive,” said Williams during the Open GDF Suez in Paris where she was competing. “Basically, they show up at your house on any day,” she continued.
The new WADA and ITF rules specify that athletes specify an hour everyday when and where they can be tested for banned substances. Athletes will also have to inform the WADA authorities of their whereabouts for the next three months. Although, the athletes will be able to update the authorities on short notice by email, phone message if any changes occur.
Another Aussie Open champion Rafael Nadal also spoke out against the new rules. He said that it made the athletes feel like they are “criminals”.
Andy Murray has also voiced his opposition to the new implementations.
More and more athletes continue to rally against the new rules. In Belgium, 65 tennis athletes filed a court challenge against it.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer said that he was “fine” with the rules while he was at the Aussie Open. However, he did admit that it was a tough system but that he is for it because he wants tennis to be a “clean sport”.