Tara Moore Slams ‘Broken’ Anti-Doping System after Four-Year Ban

Tara Moore, one of Britain’s most accomplished doubles tennis players, has broken her silence following a devastating four-year doping ban, calling the current anti-doping system “broken” and emotionally draining.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed last week that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld its appeal, overturning an earlier ruling that had cleared Moore of fault or negligence for testing positive for boldenone and nandrolone, two banned anabolic steroids.

Moore, a 17-time ITF doubles champion, originally tested positive in April 2022 and was provisionally suspended. Despite an independent tribunal ruling in December 2023 that accepted her claim of no fault or negligence, CAS later ruled in favor of the ITIA appeal, imposing a four-year suspension. However, the time Moore has already served under provisional suspension — approximately 19 months — will count toward the total ban.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Moore, 31, released a deeply personal statement:

“To be innocent and have to prove it is an incredibly gruelling process. You are presumed guilty and must fight for your life against someone with more money and resources.”

She emphasized how emotionally and psychologically taxing the process has been:

“The last three and a half years have broken me into so many pieces. But I know the integrity I bring. I know I am innocent.”

Moore also voiced broader concerns about how the current system affects other athletes:

“The anti-doping system is broken. I am proof of this. It’s too late for me — but we need to fix it for the next generation of players.”

The Brit turned professional in 2010, reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of 145 in 2017, and peaked at No. 77 in doubles. She notably reached the second round at Wimbledon in 2016 and built a strong career on the ITF circuit.

Unless further legal action is taken, Moore is not expected to return to professional tennis until the 2028 season — a potential six-year gap since her last official match.

The case has ignited debate around strict liability rules in anti-doping enforcement and the burden placed on athletes to prove their innocence in the face of limited resources.