Former British doubles number one Tara Moore has filed a lawsuit against the WTA over her four-year doping ban, The Athletic reported.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) provisionally suspended Moore in May 2022, a month after she failed a doping test after participating in the WTA tournament in Bogota. At that time, the banned substances boldenone and nandrolone, anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS), which enhance the physical capabilities of athletes, were found in her system.
According to Moore, the banned substances entered her body through contaminated meat – pork or beef. In December 2023, an independent organization ruled that Moore was not guilty of any fault or negligence, as a result of which the decision to disqualify Tara was overturned.
However, ITIA appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the athlete's disqualification was eventually reinstated because she could not provide a “clear” explanation for how the banned substances ended up in her system. A cross-appeal filed by Moore was rejected.
“Our bar for appealing a first instance decision is high and the decision is not taken lightly. In this case, our independent scientific advice was that the player had improperly explained the high level of nandrolone present in his sample. The decision is consistent with that position,” ITIA executive director Karen Moorhouse said in July.
Following the CAS ruling, Moore said on social media that “the anti-doping system is broken” and called the process “subjective.” The tennis player filed a lawsuit against the WTA, claiming that the organization chose to “keep quiet about a known and specific danger and then shift the blame for its own negligence onto the victim.” Moore is also seeking $20 million in damages from the WTA.
“The tournament organizers had specific, practical knowledge of the specific and well-documented dangers of contaminated meat in Bogota, Colombia. Yet they chose not to report it, failing to warn their athletes of this risk,” the lawsuit states.
“The last three and a half years have broken me into so many pieces. While my family and friends tried to pick up my pieces, they glued me back together as a different person,” Tara added.
Tara Moore: what is known about the tennis player?
- 33-year-old British tennis player. Former number one player for Great Britain in doubles.
- The highest position in the world ranking is 145 in singles and 77 in doubles.
- Winner of nine ITF singles titles and 18 doubles titles.