Players to face stricter anti-doping whereabouts rules from 2027

Oct 21 - Tennis players will lose a longstanding exemption from strict anti-doping whereabouts requirements during tournaments from January 2027, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Wednesday.

• Changes to the World Anti-Doping Code require players in a sport's Registered Testing Pool (RTP) to provide a daily 60-minute testing window during competition from 2027, ending an exemption previously granted to tennis because of the unpredictability of players' schedules.

• The ITIA, an independent body that protects fairness in the game, said that it would reduce the size of its RTP, moving around 80% of players currently in the group to an expanded testing pool where the daily 60-minute requirement will not apply.

• "Players who remain in the reduced RTP will be required to provide a daily 60-minute time slot like athletes in every WADA-compliant sport, both in and out of competition," the ITIA added.

• The number of players selected across both testing pools will be broadly consistent with the current testing pools, and testing frequency and volume are unlikely to change.

• The new rules will also provide greater protection for players who can establish that a positive test was caused by contamination, including through medication, food or drink, environmental exposure or another person.

• They will also provide greater flexibility in sanctions in certain circumstances, with rehabilitation-focused options for some recreational drug cases unrelated to sporting performance.

• Players will be informed in November which pool they have been assigned to, though individual classifications will not be made public.

• All players, regardless of their testing pool status, must provide a sample when requested by a doping control officer, with refusal carrying a potential ban of up to four years. REUTERS