Tennis watchdog adds ‘creepy' new shower rule for players
Tennis followers are calling foul after a watchdog organization announced a new rule involving post-match showers that some have called 'creepy.'
In a bid to catch users of performance-enhancing drugs, chaperones will watch players shower if a urine sample hasn't been provided.
The International Tennis Integrity Unit (ITIA) reportedly informed players of a new rule last week which will see drug tests conducted immediately after matches. However, it's an update regarding post-match showers that has gone viral.
'The ITIA and ITF have been working tirelessly to ensure that post-match showers can constitute an allowable delay for doping controls, especially when the absence of a shower can have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of a player,' the ITIA statement read.
'However, taking a shower is not a right. For this reason, the ITIA kindly requests players to shower while remaining in clear view of the chaperone observing them at all times.
'If a player feels uncomfortable being watched during their shower, we suggest considering whether it is necessary to shower before providing the doping control sample.'
Jon Wertheim, a journalist for Sports Illustrated, posted the release with the caption: 'This is … extraordinary.'
Other fans called out the ITIA for the statement for social media, saying the policy is 'creepy,' among other comments.
'Chaperone in full view while the players are showering??? This is creepy, given how some players, males and females, are in their teens. Ew,' one fan posted on X.
'Next from ITIA: What if we put a hidden camera in the bathroom,' another user commented.
'This is unacceptable,' a third added.
Canadians Auger-Aliassime, Andreescu ousted at Madrid Open
Carlos Alcaraz withdraws from Madrid Open but expects to be fit for French Open
Rennae Stubbs, a four-time Olympian and former World No. 1 doubles player, said the statement was just poorly worded and that drug testing officials always have been present once players leave the court.
'We always have had to shower with the door open,' Stubbs wrote on X.
'The drug testing people were with us every minute from the moment we walked off the court including watching us shower. I don't know why they're putting this out now.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
12 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Today in Sports - Carlos Alcaraz becomes the youngest man to win grand slams on all three surfaces
June 9 1888 — James McLaughlin sets the record for wins by a jockey in the Belmont Stakes, six, when he rides Sir Dixon to a 12-length victory. McLaughlin's record is matched by Eddie Arcaro in 1955. 1899 — Jim Jeffries knocks out Bob Fitzsimmons in the 11th round in New York to win the world heavyweight title. 1914 — Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates becomes the first player in modern baseball to get 3,000 hits. 1930 — Paavo Nurmi runs world record 6 mile (29:36.4). 1934 — Olin Dutra edges Gene Sarazen by one stroke to win the U.S. Open. 1940 — Lawson Little beats Gene Sarazen by three strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open golf title.x 1945 — Hoop Jr. wins the Kentucky Derby, which is run one month after a national wartime government ban on racing is lifted. 1946 — Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in 8 for heavyweight boxing title. 1973 — Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the Belmont Stakes in record time to capture the Triple Crown. Secretariat sets a world record on the 1½-mile course with 2:24, and a record for largest margin of victory in the Belmont, 31 lengths. 1978 — Larry Holmes scores a 15-round split decision over Ken Norton for the WBC heavyweight title in New York. 1979 — Coastal, ridden by Ruben Hernandez, spoils Spectacular Bid's attempt at the Triple Crown with a 3¼-length victory over Golden Act. Spectacular Bid finishes third. 1984 — Swale, ridden by Laffit Pincay, wins the Belmont Stakes by four lengths over Pine Circle. Swale dies eight days later. 1984 — French Open Women's Tennis: Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert 6-3, 6-1; 2nd women in Open Era to hold all 4 Grand Slam titles at once. 1985 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 29 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-100 victory over the Boston Celtics and the NBA title in six games. 1990 — Monica Seles holds off four set points in the first set tiebreaker and goes on to become the youngest winner of the French Open, beating two-time champion Steffi Graf 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. Seles is 16 years, six months. 1991 — In the first all-American men's final at the French Open since 1954, Jim Courier rallies to beat Andre Agassi 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 for his first Grand Slam title. 1993 — Patrick Roy makes 18 saves and the Montreal Canadiens capture their 24th Stanley Cup, beating the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 in Game 5. 2001 — Stanley Cup Final, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO: Colorado Avalanche beat defending champion New Jersey Devils, 3-1 for 4-3 series win; Avalanche 2nd title. 2001 — Jennifer Capriati beats Kim Clijsters 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 to win the French Open, her second consecutive Grand Slam title. 2003 — The New Jersey Devils end the Anaheim Mighty Ducks' surreal season, winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 victory. Mike Rupp, who had never appeared in a playoff until Game 4, scores the first goal and sets up Jeff Friesen for the other two. 2007 — Rags to Riches, a filly ridden by John Velazquez, outduels Curlin in a breathtaking stretch run and won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first of her sex to take the final leg of the Triple Crown in more than a century. 2008 — Ken Griffey Jr. becomes the sixth player sixth player in baseball history to reach 600 homers with a drive off Mark Hendrickson in the first inning of the Cincinnati Reds' 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins. 2010 — Chicago's Patrick Kane sneaks the puck past Michael Leighton 4:10 into overtime, stunning Philadelphia and lifting the Blackhawks to a 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961. 2013 — Rafael Nadal becomes the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam tournament after beating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the French Open final, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. 2015 — Chris Heston, San Francisco Giants throws a no-hitter against the New York Mets, 5-0. 2018 — Justify becomes the 13th Triple Crown winner by winning the Belmont Stakes with Mike Smith aboard. 2019 — Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz shot while visiting Dominican Republic. 2019 — French Open Men's Tennis: Rafael Nadal beats Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; 3rd straight French singles title; 12th overall; first to win 12 singles titles at same Grand Slam; 18th major. 2022 — The controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series gets underway at the Centurion Club, Hertfordshire; PGA suspends 17 participating players. 2024 — French Open Men's Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz becomes the youngest man to win grand slams on all three surfaces, coming back to beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a final lasting 4 hours 15 minutes
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Coco Gauff Earns New Nickname After Winning French Open
Coco Gauff Earns New Nickname After Winning French Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Coco Gauff made history at the French Open as just the fifth American woman to win multiple singles Grand Slam titles in the Open era at age 21 or younger. Not only that, but she's also the first American woman to secure the Roland-Garros title since Serena Williams did so in 2015. Advertisement Gauff took down World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday to claim her second Grand Slam title following her 2023 US Open win. It wasn't an easy match for the youngster after losing a tight first set, but she was able to secure the victory thanks to her defense, lob shots and overall smart play. It also helped Gauff that Sabalenka committed 70 unforced errors in a rather uncharacteristic performance. After Gauff bagged the Suzanne-Lenglen Cup — the trophy awarded to the women's singles champion at the French Open since 1979 — fans were quick to crown her and give her a new nickname: the "Queen of Clay." "The new queen of clay," the BNP Paribas Open's X account wrote. Wide World of Sports echoed the same thing, writing, "There's a new queen of clay!" Advertisement "HUGE CONGRATS TO THE NEW QUEEN OF CLAY!!!" a fan shared. Another one remarked, "Common queen of clay!!" "The Queen of Clay!" a social media user wrote. "My clay Queen. My Lawn Tennis court Queen. My Winning Queen. Keep winning for Jesus Christ," a supporter stated. Coco Gauff of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the women's French Open.© Susan Mullane-Imagn Images For what it's worth, many consider World No. 5 Iga Swiatek as the Queen of Clay, and for good reason. She has four French Open titles to her name, winning the competition in 2020 and for three straight years from 2022 to 2024. Coco Gauff, for her part, is certainly making a case to dethrone Swiatek, though. It should be noted that she's the youngest player to reach 25 wins at Roland-Garros since Martina Hingis in 2000. Advertisement By reaching the Roland-Garros final, the USA tennis star also made history as the youngest player to reach the title match of the Madrid Open, Italian Open and French Open in the same year — all three are the biggest clay-court tournaments in the tennis season. Gauff probably needs to win consistently in the French Open to become the undisputed "Queen of Clay," but she's definitely on the right track. Related: Aryna Sabalenka Facing Backlash for Coco Gauff Message After French Open Loss Related: Coco Gauff's Behavior After Winning French Open Final is Turning Heads This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
an hour ago
Coco Gauff wins French Open with thrilling comeback
The 21-year-old phenom won her second grand slam and first French Open title, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff is now the third America woman since 1990 to win the French Open.
