SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER!
 
 
Facebook Social Button Twitter Social Button Follow Us on InstagramYouTube Social Button
NewsScoresRankingsLucky Letcord PodcastShopPro GearPickleballGear Sale

New Athlete Biological Passports Announced for Players

In a joint effort between the sport's governing bodies, tours and Major events, a new biological passport for players is set to happen from 2013.

By Erik Gudris

ITF Logo (March 7th, 2013) -- In an continuing effort to further prevent doping from becoming a bigger issue in tennis, the ITF along with the ATP Tour, the WTA and the Grand Slam tournaments have announced a joint effort to issue biological passports to all players.

Based on a meeting held March 5th of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme Working Group comprised of members from the ITF, the tours and the Majors, plans are underway to issue an Athlete Biological Passport to all players starting in 2013. The passport would provide electronic documentation for an athlete including recent doping test results over a period of time that would then be checked on that athlete's established levels.

The TADP also recommended an increase in the amount of testing, including when players were not competing, with additional funding being provided by the sport's governing bodies.

The announcement comes at at time when some of the sport's biggest stars including Roger Federer and Andy Murray have publicly called for changes to the current testing system that they feel doesn't test players often enough.

“The Grand Slam tournaments have taken an active role in the sport’s anti-doping efforts since the inception of the programme and continue to make this a priority every year,” said Bill Babcock, Director, Grand Slam Committee. “We are proud to work with the other governing bodies as part of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme which we believe is essential to ensure that tennis remains a clean sport for the future.”

At the recent L.A. Tennis Challenge, former No. 1 Pete Sampras was quoted as saying that he felt that tennis and its current players are not supporting a culture of drug cheating that's been found in other sports.

"I don't think players are that sophisticated in tennis, Sampras said. "It's not their culture. I don't think it's in their nature."
The timeline for when the new passports will be distributed to players is yet to be announced.

(Photo Credit: AFP & ITF)


 

News Headlines

Latest Blog Posts