Tennis players involved in doping or match-fixing investigations are eligible for free legal aid, confidential counseling or assistance with the cost of testing products they ingested that may have resulted in a positive drug test, the International Tennis Integrity Organization announced Wednesday.
The trial program will begin immediately and will be reviewed over the next year.
Athletes can receive up to $5,000 to have their medicines and supplements tested for contamination at a World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory, or the same amount to help identify the possible source of contaminated meat. This is a common explanation for failed doping tests in sports.
Sports Resolutions, the independent dispute resolution service that runs the tribunal for tennis anti-doping cases, is extending free legal assistance in such cases to the first time a player tests positive for a banned substance. Previously, this service was only available after the player was charged.
Sporting Chance, an organization that works on the mental health of athletes, will also provide six rounds of health support to people under investigation for anti-corruption and anti-doping violations.
“We recognize that this process can have financial and emotional costs,” said ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse.
“No player picks up a tennis racket as a kid for any other motive than to play the game,” she added. “Individuals find themselves in these situations for a variety of reasons, so whatever the reason, and whatever the outcome of the case, they need someone to talk to.”
The ITIA was implicated in two of tennis’ most high-profile doping scandals that began last year, culminating in short-term suspensions for top-ranked players and multiple Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.
Sinner reached an agreement with WADA to accept a three-month suspension, which ended in April after the organization applied for an exoneration from the ITIA based on what it determined was accidental contamination with anabolic steroids.
Swiatek agreed to a one-month suspension, partially served last offseason, after testing positive for contaminated over-the-counter medication.
Some tennis players, particularly 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, have criticized the way the incident was handled, saying there was a sense of favoritism towards the sport’s biggest stars.