Building trust crucial, says tennis’ ITIA anti-doping agency

LONDON – Improving trust in anti-doping rules is a priority for the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after several high-profile cases in 2024 raised doubts over its processes, chief executive officer Karen Moorhouse said in its annual review.

Men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy

accepted an immediate three-month ban

in February after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which had appealed against the 2024 decision of an independent tribunal to clear him of any wrongdoing after a positive doping test.

Poland’s five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek also accepted

a one-month suspension

in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, which she said was the result of contamination of her sleep medication.

But the speed with which Sinner and Swiatek’s cases were dealt with, and the leniency shown to the two big stars of the sport, cast a spotlight on the anti-doping system after former world No. 1 Simona Halep of Romania criticised officials for lengthy delays in her own case.

“(The Jannik Sinner) case has invariably raised further questions about the anti-doping process in tennis,” Moorhouse said in the report published on March 27. “We – alongside our funders – are determined to answer them, and drive deeper understanding of the work we do within the sport.

“The complexity of the system is one of the many reasons why it’s important that we continue to work together with our members and tennis stakeholders to build trust.”

Accusations of double standards were aimed at the ITIA, while 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic said there had been a lack of consistency and transparency in the cases. Australian Nick Kyrgios also described the Swiatek and Sinner cases as “disgusting” for tennis.

Meanwhile, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which in March filed a lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies, accuses the ITIA of violating players’ privacy rights with random drug tests – further underlining its processes which not all players are comfortable with.

The ITIA’s review highlights a 26 per cent increase in anti-doping tests in 2024 compared to the previous year, with 9,151 being carried out. It says educating players about anti-doping rules, especially the risk of contaminated supplements, was a major pillar of its strategy for the next three years.

“The past 12 months has reinforced the challenges involved for players and their support teams,” ITIA anti-doping senior director Nicole Sapstead said.

“Thirty per cent of anti-doping rule violations in tennis over the past 15 years can be attributed to contaminated supplements, and there is work to be done.

“It remains our view that the vast majority of players compete clean, and the largest proportion of TADP (tennis anti-doping programme) cases involve unintentional doping.”

Sinner, who won his third Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open despite uncertainty about Wada’s appeal, tested positive for anabolic agent clostebol at the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments last season, with the Italian saying it had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy. His ban will end on May 4.
REUTERS