Williams claims random drug tests discriminatory
NEW YORK: Serena Williams has again hit out at doping authorities, tweeting that she is being targeted in random drug tests and it is discriminatory.
The seventime Wimbledon champion and 23time grand slam champ in two tweets yesterday said she was being tested the most of all female tennis players.
‘‘. . . It’s that time of the day to get ‘randomly’ drug tested and only test Serena. Out of all the players it’s been proven I’m the one getting tested the most. Discrimination? I think so. At least I’ll be keeping the sport clean.’’
She followed it up a few minutes later.
‘‘But I’m ready to do whatever it takes to have a clean sport so bring it on. I’m excited.’’
It came to light this month that Williams, runnerup at this year’s Wimbledon, had already been tested five times this year by the US AntiDoping Agency, while other US players had been tested once or not at all.
Her tweets followed a preWimbledon press conference on July 1in which she described her treatment by Usada as shocking.
Williams revealed she was out when an antidoping official arrived at her house at 8.30am on June 14, 12 hours outside the allotted daily window she had previously agreed on her athlete whereabouts form.
There is no suggestion Williams did anything wrong and it was not registered as a missed test but the American was clearly perplexed by the situation as she held her preWimbledon news conference on Sunday.
Usada confirmed this month Williams had passed all five tests. Williams said she had asked Usada for an explanation as to why she was being tested so regularly.
‘‘I did have a conversation before I knew the information about all the other players,’’she said.
‘‘I had a conversation with the lead guy with Usada.
‘‘How is it I’m getting tested five times in June? It’s only June, I’ve been tested five times,’’ she said at the time.’’ — RNZ