Williams expressed confusion regarding the current protocols, incorrectly asserting that missing a test outside of the designated one-hour window would count as a missed test, which led her to believe she could not pick up her children.
"I guess now for 24 hours where I'm going to be is just different - at least for me.
I don't know if that works for everyone else," Williams added.
According to the New York Times, Williams is also the most prominent athlete competing while using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, which have been monitored by WADA since 2024 but remain legal and are not classified as performance-enhancing.
"I didn't know some of the rules, so apparently like if you miss a test.
Outside of your window, it still counts as miss, and like, so I guess I can't go pick up my kids," Williams said, as reported by the New York Times.
Her frustrations follow a recent four-year ban handed to 2023 Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová for refusing a drug test outside her specified window, an incident that has amplified player anxieties surrounding the ITIA system.
"I hate it," Williams said.
Despite her initial hesitation to return to the sport after her last appearance at the 2022 U. S.
Open, Williams decided to accept the tournament's wild card invitation on the day before the official deadline.
"I thought, not every day Wimbledon holds a wild card for someone," Williams said. "I thought, well, I should really take this opportunity.
