Clifford Chance

Tennis in the 21st Century: Time to Harmonize Doping Test Protocols

28 August 2024

Tennis is historically an evolution from the medieval game "jeu de paume," where honesty and integrity played a central role. This mother sport of tennis was regarded as an expression of a person’s character and moral values. However, professional tennis today faces a reputational problem when it comes to handling doping investigations. Recent controversies — particularly the differing treatment of rising Italian star Jannik Sinner and Romanian champion Simona Halep — have raised doubts about the sport’s ability to consistently communicate its protocols and manage doping investigations. The need for more harmonized doping protocols, especially regarding communication and transparency, has never been clearer, as recently advocated by players themselves.

A Dutch version of this article has been published in the financial newspaper De Tijd available here. 

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