Serena Williams says anti-doping duties nearly changed her comeback plans

Serena Williams says the anti-doping testing process was one of the factors that nearly stopped her return to professional tennis. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion has re-entered competition and is preparing for a Wimbledon singles comeback after playing doubles at Queen’s earlier this month.

Her reappearance on the anti-doping testing pool list in December was reported as an early indication that she was seriously considering a return. Players in that pool must provide a daily one-hour location window for possible out-of-competition testing, and three missed tests in a 12-month period can lead to sanctions.

Williams also suggested she could be penalised if testers could not reach her outside that nominated hour, but the BBC report states that this is not how the rule works. A failed contact attempt outside the declared window is not treated as a missed test under the protocols described in the article.

The issue has become a wider talking point in tennis, with other players having described stress and disruption linked to whereabouts requirements. The ITIA says no-notice testing is central to protecting clean competition and has said it is willing to discuss questions with players or their representatives.

Williams is scheduled to face Australian world number 53 Maya Joint in the first round at Wimbledon, but her comments have added another layer to the debate over how tennis balances anti-doping enforcement with the practical pressures placed on players.