The anti-doping system is flawed, and I am the proof," says Moore, former world No. 145 suspended four years for doping
A few days ago, former world No. 145 Tara Moore was suspended from professional tennis for four years following an appeal by the ITIA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In 2022, nandrolone and boldenone were found in one of her anti-doping tests.
Moore was initially cleared, citing contamination from consuming meat. However, the ITIA won its appeal this month. The player decided to respond to the suspension on her X (formerly Twitter) account:
"Being innocent and proving it is an extremely grueling process. First, you try to figure out what these substances are, and second, how they got into your body. If you're innocent, you don’t know right away. You have to recall everything you’ve done and eliminate what couldn’t be the cause until you find something that might hold the answer.
Even then, you’re presumed guilty and have to fight for your life against someone with more money and resources than you. These last three and a half years have shattered me into pieces. My family and friends picked up those pieces and put me back together as a different person.
I don’t need a judge to tell me I’m innocent. I know my integrity, and I know I’m innocent. I think anyone can see how subjective this process is.
I’ve been an outsider. I’ve been robbed of the life I knew because the institutions and people in power didn’t do what was right. They’ve taken away my fight on the court, but my fight isn’t over—at least not for me or others like me.
The anti-doping system is flawed. I am the proof. We need to fix this. Not for me, because it’s too late, but for future players who find themselves in this unfortunate situation. I still have a lot to say when the time comes.
I stand by you, Tara, whatever you do next.