ITIA Announces Major Anti-Doping Overhaul For 2027 Season

What Tennis' new anti-doping whereabouts rules mean for players

Tennis will end its exemption from WADA whereabouts rules from January 2027. The ITIA says 80% of RTP players will move to an expanded pool as daily testing windows become mandatory.

End of exemption, Tennis stars face stricter whereabouts testing from 2027... 

Tennis players will no longer be exempt from strict anti-doping whereabouts rules during tournaments from January 2027, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Wednesday.

Under changes to the World Anti-Doping Code, players in the sport’s Registered Testing Pool (RTP) must provide a daily 60-minute window for testing while competing from 2027, scrapping an exemption tennis previously held due to the unpredictable nature of players' schedules.

The ITIA, an independent body tasked with protecting fairness in the sport, said it plans to reduce the size of its RTP, transferring around 80% of players currently in the group to an expanded testing pool where the daily 60-minute rule will not be required.

“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 total number of players across both testing pools will remain largely in line with the current pools, with testing frequency and volume unlikely to change.

The updated rules will also offer greater protection to players who can prove that a positive test resulted from contamination, whether through medication, food or drink, environmental exposure or contact with another person.

World number one Jannik Sinner has accepted an immediate three-month ban from tennis. It comes after he reached a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency over his two positive doping tests last year, with his suspension running from 9th February until 4th May. #BBCTennis https://t.co/oJ58O0SEUe

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 15, 2025

They will also allow for more flexibility in sanctions in certain cases, including rehabilitation-focused outcomes for some recreational drug violations unrelated to performance enhancement.

Players will be notified in November of which pool they have been assigned to, although individual classifications will not be made public.

All players, irrespective of their testing pool status, are still required to provide a sample when requested by a doping control officer, with refusal carrying a potential ban of up to four years.