An International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is a body that ensures that the sport is kept free from malicious activities like doping, betting and corruption. The Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP) of the ITIA follows a strict protocol while keeping a thorough check on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list of substances and the World Anti-Doping Code.
A part of the ITIA’s screening is the whereabouts programme. The World Anti-Doping Code demands an International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) of players. In order to meet this criteria, the ITIA asks players to report their “whereabouts” for every day of the year. The players who are chosen to report this can be Top 100 singles players (both ATP and WTA) and the Top 10 doubles players (ATP, WTA and wheelchair tennis players). Players who are coming out of retirement are now required to report their whereabouts for the last six months before re-joining the tour.
When players are not compliant with this program, it can result in career-changing sanctions. If a player misses three whereabouts filing reports within 12 months, then they breach the anti-doping rule violation. Such a violation can lead to a player’s suspension from the sport as per the level of offense committed.
As per the ITIA, Whereabouts are “No Notice Out-of-Competition Testing.” When players are sent a notice for their inclusion in the IRTP, they are supposed to report their whereabouts through an online software of WADA called ADAMS (Anti-Doping Administration and Management System). The ITIA provides all the necessary tutorials for players to learn more about the whereabouts program.
