Drugs in Sport: Federer heads list of tested tennis players

Roger Federer was the most frequently drug-tested player in men's tennis last year according to figures published by the ATP, which runs the men's tour.

Roger Federer was the most frequently drug-tested player in men's tennis last year according to figures published by the ATP, which runs the men's tour. Last year's Wimbledon champion was tested 21 times in 2003, with 20 of his tests (two of them blood tests for EPO) conducted at tournaments, and one done out of competition, on 15 December.

The extent of tennis's testing programme puts most other sports in the shade. The majority of the world's top-30 tennis players were tested at least a dozen times each in 2003, with players more likely to be tested the more successful they were. Juan Carlos Ferrero was second to Federer, with 18 tests, followed by Carlos Moya (17), Mark Philippoussis (16) and Andy Roddick (16). Tim Henman, the British No 1, was tested eight times, including once out of competition.

Greg Rusedski was tested four times. His first test, in Indianapolis last July, came up positive for the banned substance nandrolone. He is waiting to discover whether he will face a ban for that finding. Two of his other three tests came within three weeks of the first. The fourth, out of competition, was on 10 December.

Altogether, there were 46 out-of-competition tests last year on 38 different players. Apart from one test on Andre Agassi on 10 July, all the other out-of-competition tests were done between September and December. Agassi underwent three out-of-competition tests altogether.