Serena Williams says 'gruelling' doping protocols almost put her off comeback before Wimbledon singles return - 'I hate it'

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Serena Williams has revealed one of the ”big reasons” why she was nearly put off making a tennis comeback as she prepares for a stunning Wimbledon return, four years since she last played the Grand Slam.

‘My life is busy’ – Williams questions ‘unprofessional’ protocols that nearly derailed comeback

Video credit: SNTV

Williams appeared to have called time on her tennis career when she stepped away from the sport after the 2022 US Open.

But the 23-time Grand Slam champion made a shock return in doubles earlier this month and will compete in both singles and doubles at Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, June 29.

One of the first signs that Williams might be planning a comeback was when she re-entered the anti-doping pool last year. Among the requirements of the doping testing is that players have to give a location and time slot when they can be tested for each day of the year.

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And Williams, who faces 20-year-old Maya Joint in her first-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday, says she found the testing system ”gruelling” and ”unprofessional.”

Williams said: ”They changed the rules now, I didn't know some of the rules. So apparently if you miss a test outside of your window, it still counts as missed. I'm like, I guess I can't go pick up my kids.

”It's unprofessional. I hate it. I think it's necessary but I think a lot of the stuff, if I want to go places outside of my window, I should be able to go without having it count as a missed test.

”I think that there has to be a different way to make it reasonable because that's just unreasonable. That was a big reason why I didn't want to come back either because it's just so hard.”

Williams’ comments come just a few days after former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was given a four-year ban for refusing an anti-doping test outside of her allocated hour.

Williams added: ”My life is busy, I run a company, I run a VC [venture capital] company, I travel the world. I have children. It's like I could be in so many different cities so many different times.

”But just getting that discipline of reporting...just getting in that routine of first of all, learning the new rules, then just getting back and reporting every day.

”I guess now for 24 hours where I'm going to be is just different - at least for me. I don't know if that works for everyone else.”

Williams will play at Wimbledon for the first time since 2022, when she was beaten in the first round by Harmony Tan.

”I expect to be nervous,” said the seven-time champion about stepping on the grass courts again.

”I was also nervous every single match I ever played in my life. I think that showed the passion and the love and the care, that I cared about my job, whether it was the first round or the second round or the finals. I've always had some nerves. But then I just dust 'em off, then I move on.

”I definitely expect to have those same feelings.”

Williams is one of the greatest players in tennis history and at her peak dominated the sport like few others have done.

Asked which players she has enjoyed watching in her time away from the court, she said: ”Seeing [world No. 1 Aryna] Sabalenka just kind of do so well in so many of those Grand Slams has always been really cool to watch her. I love her intensity out there.

”Obviously watching Coco [Gauff] who wasn't super around [when Williams was playing], but I love watching her. And Mirra Andreeva. I like watching her a lot.”

Williams also said that she waited until the last minute to confirm her decision to play singles at Wimbledon as well as doubles with sister Venus.

”I think I had until Monday to decide," she said. "I think it was like Sunday. I just wasn't sure up until then. Honestly, I'm still not even sure, but we'll see.”

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