EXCLUSIVE: Garbiñe Muguruza Defends Tennis Doping Controls Amid WTA Riyadh Finals Success

“To me they did so many tests. I don’t know about other players. Especially when I was top ten, top three, top one. They came [to my] home a lot of times, and also after almost every match at home. I definitely felt they were on top of the athletes.

“I mean, I never asked other players: how regularly do they come to your house? But to me, it was always one of those things. Like, okay, they’re here again.”

Muguruza’s comments come at a time of heightened scrutiny regarding doping in tennis.

High-profile cases have rocked the men’s game in recent months, most notably world number one Jannik Sinner’s controversial acquittal after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol. The Italian avoided a ban despite two positive tests in March, with the International Tennis Integrity Agency ruling the contamination was unintentional.

Similarly, Poland’s Iga Świątek, the former women’s world number one, served a one-month suspension in late 2024 after testing positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, blaming contaminated melatonin supplements.

When pressed on whether tennis risks following cycling’s infamous doping scandals of the Lance Armstrong era, Muguruza pushed back firmly. She acknowledged recent cases had been “treated differently”, but maintained tennis authorities treat the issue seriously.

“I think so. It’s always been a very serious topic. Yes, there have been some new cases that have been treated differently,” she said.

Muguruza, who was Tournament Director at the recent WTA Tournament Finals in Riyadh, said the event – now in its second year – had been a success.

“It’s going very well. I have to say that since last year, we’ve seen an increase of popularity and crowd, and excitement for the locals who are getting to know the tennis more. So far, great.”

She said the event witnessed a significant surge in attendance over the final days, describing the atmosphere as “a big jump from last year”.

Players, she said, were discovering Saudi Arabia’s offerings despite the tournament’s intensity. “I think they’re enjoying it because I don’t think they know much [about Saudi]. They haven’t been many times, like in other tournaments, so they’re really discovering the potential activities and restaurants.”

She added players couldn’t have too much fun because they had to stay ready for competition. “It’s hard because… the day you play, you really have to be at your like 80, 90 percent, because every match could be a Grand Slam final.”

Muguruza said the wider women’s game was in good health following a long period marked by the domination of the William’s sisters.

“It’s a change of generation, definitely. The Williams sisters were there for I don’t know how many years… when I was a kid, they were there.”

She added: “This year we’ve had four different Grand Slam champions. That’s incredible – and also very different types of games and personalities. I feel like you don’t know who’s going to win. Before, we were used to seeing similar faces, but now it’s really open. Also, different players from different countries.”