USADA Report Says Tennis Is Behind In Anti-doping

Recent figures released by the US Anti-Doping Agency say that tennis is way behind other sports when it comes to drug testing.

 

The USADA report on testing numbers by sport in 2013 shows that whole track and field conducted 496 tests (392 out of competition, 104 in competition); tennis only had 19 (all out of competition). Out of all the sports that the USDA listed, tennis comprised just 19 of the 1,919 tests, while curling had 35 tests and the luge 25.

 

“If you’re only taking two steps when 100 are needed, it’s not going to work,’ Don Catlin, president and chief executive officer of Anti-Doping Research told EuroSport. “If you started with the top 100 male players, that would be a good representation and then if you test them five times a year but [tennis] probably doesn’t want to. If you don’t start with something of that magnitude, you’re not going to get far.”

 

However, back in March, the ITF s anti-doping program budget was given a boost by the Grand Slams and the two tours, going from about $2 million annually to $3.6 million, which will allow for more testing.

 

The ITF will introduce biological passports for players this year, where test results are collated over time to enable anti-doping authorities to track any changes, which may indicate doping.

 

However Catlin, one of the founders of drug testing, has said that tennis is wasting its time adopting a biological passport program.

 

“I would tell them not to bother,” Catlin said. “They’re better off to increase the number of tests they do rather than spend it all on the passport. Doubling or tripling urine tests would be of more value than starting a passport because you need such a long lead-in. You need data over four or five years.”

 

The ITF has defended its decision to go with biological passports.

 

“The Anti-Doping Working Group has identified the introduction of biological passports as a key enhancement of the detection and deterrence of doping under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program,” said program chief Dr. Stuart Miller, “The implementation of the passport in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency recommendations, including the required budget, is now being discussed by the four parties in the program.”

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