Major tennis tournaments fail to conduct doping tests: Reports

Some of the major tennis tournaments in 2016 were held without testing the athletes for doping, including the Shanghai Masters, media reported on Thursday, citing sources in tennis.

"An unnamed tennis player ranked inside the top 50 was tested about eight times this year, despite playing more than 20 tournaments and 65 matches, while another source close to a tennis event confirmed that in some years testers did not attend the tournaments," Sputnik news media said citing a report in The Times newspaper.

Another high-profile player said that it is more common for him not to be tested at tournaments.

Tournaments are required to provide facilities for anti-doping officials to conduct tests. However, according to reports, these often go unused.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF), which runs the tennis anti-doping programme, operates on an annual budget of about $4 million.

A number of sporting figures, including British tennis star Andy Murray, have called for increased funding.

--IANS

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