Serena Williams and Roger Federer once spoke up about the US Anti-Doping Agency and their excruciating procedures for testing. This was in 2018 when the seven-time Wimbledon champion was uncomfortable with the testing procedures that were suddenly scheduled outside her allotted timings. The Guardian recorded the statements of both Serena Williams and Roger Federer on the testing frustrations.

While Serena strongly voiced her opinions and spoke out about the inequality she was facing, Federer remained calm and took on a more diplomatic approach. However, both legends had more or less the same thing to say. While Serena raised her voice in support of equality, Federer too decided to talk about how the budget and funding should be more allocated to solve the problem.

When asked about her stance on testing, Serena said, “I despise having people in our sport that aren’t being honest. So I’m totally okay with testing and I encourage it”. However, that was not it. The 23-time Grand Slam champion had more to add. “I want to know that everyone is getting tested and that we are really working to keep the sport clean. Equality, that’s the only thing I’ve been preaching, and that’s all I want.”

Serena confessed that she had no problems being tested multiple times. What she really wanted was to understand that other players were also being tested the exact number of times as her.

“It’s just about being equal and not centering one person out,” she said. “Just due to the numbers it looks like I’m being pushed out.”

True to her words, Serena has always been the flag-bearer of equality in tennis with her sister Venus, and this comment doesn’t come as a surprise to her fans.

When asked about the same, Roger Federer opened his answer with his cheeky sense of humor. He said that the tester lives in the same village in Switzerland as Federer does. So, multiple testing won’t be a problem for Federer as the tester could come to his house at any time.

However, coming to a more serious point of view, Federer admitted that he has been tested very unevenly. “I’ve been tested quite a bit and quite frequently out of competition. Many times in Dubai I’ve hardly ever been tested which has been quite disappointing, to be honest. In the 15 years I’ve been there it’s been one test.” 

However, Roger also highlighted the budget problem but dismissed the prospect of how it should ever be a bar for the basic necessities.

He said, “I understand it’s probably also got something to do with the budget like flying somebody there just for that one test. Yet that should not be an excuse. After all, we still need more funding and I hope that’s gonna happen…I understand the frustration, sometimes I have it too”.

Such legendary entities voicing out their concerns gives young players more insight into their rights and how they can exercise them within the given limits. Equality has always been a continuous movement across the world, and especially in a sport like tennis.

Since this interview in 2018, has the sport become a more equal playing field for everyone?