Tennis players accustomed to the flexible tournament schedule will face a new requirement starting in January 2027: even during competitions, they will have to specify a 60-minute window every day for a possible doping test. This is a direct consequence of the updated WADA code, which abolishes the previous exemption for tennis.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has already announced a reduction in the pool of players registered for testing. Of the roughly 250 people in it, about 50 will remain — mostly top-20 men and women. The rest will move to an expanded group where daily window specification will not be required, although random checks will remain.
At the same time, WADA is expanding protection for athletes in cases of unintentional ingestion of a prohibited substance. The term "contaminated product" is being replaced by the broader concept of "contaminated source," which includes meat, food, beverages, contact with another person or objects. This directly concerns cases such as the positive tests of Jannik Sinner and Iga Świątek, where contamination through massage or medication was at issue.
The new rules allow for reduced sanctions if it is proven that there was no significant fault or negligence. Sanctions can range from a warning to a two-year suspension, and in some cases even a complete annulment. However, the player is still obliged to establish the source of contamination, which remains a difficult task, as the Tara Moore case showed.
For top players remaining in the strict pool, this will add bureaucratic burden in the middle of a busy season. The ITIA cites a successful pilot project in which testing without a precise window achieved 90 percent efficiency. Nevertheless, the balance between control and the realities of the tennis calendar remains fragile.
Ultimately, the changes of 2027 underscore that the fight against doping in tennis is moving toward greater proportionality, but the price for this is new restrictions for the elite and clearer rules for everyone.
