British tennis player’s £15m damages claim against WTA dismissed
Tara Moore will be banned from playing until 2028 season following doping case
Dubai: Tara Moore’s attempt to seek £15m ($20m) in compensation from the Women’s Tennis Association has been rejected by a US court.
The British doubles player brought the case against the WTA following a four-year doping suspension, claiming the organisation had failed to adequately alert players to the potential dangers of consuming contaminated meat during a tournament in Colombia.
Moore, 34, maintained that the lack of warning contributed to the circumstances surrounding her positive doping test and subsequent ban.
However, a US District Court in New York has rejected Moore’s application and ordered that the case be closed.
Moore, who has consistently maintained that she never deliberately doped, described the legal battle as a “nightmare” when speaking to BBC Sport following the ruling.
Moore’s case dates back to April 2022, when she returned positive tests for nandrolone and boldenone after competing at a WTA 250 tournament in Bogotá. An independent tribunal later concluded in December 2023 that the substances had entered her system through contaminated meat.
At the time, Moore was Britain’s highest-ranked women’s doubles player and was initially cleared of any fault or negligence. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) challenged that ruling.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) subsequently overturned the decision last year, resulting in Moore receiving a suspension that runs until 2028.
She then took her case to the American Arbitration Association, arguing that the WTA had failed to provide sufficient warnings about the risks of consuming meat in Colombia and that this omission directly contributed to her positive test and the consequences that followed.
The arbitrator ultimately upheld the CAS ruling and rejected Moore’s claim against the WTA.
Moore subsequently challenged that decision by filing a motion with the US District Court in New York, arguing that she had not been given a fair opportunity to present her case during the arbitration process.
The Briton, who reached a career-best world ranking of 77 in 2022, was seeking at least $20m in compensation. In her filing, she accused the WTA of failing to warn players about a specific and known risk before allowing responsibility for the doping violation to fall on her.
However, US District Judge Andrew Carter ruled on Friday that Moore’s challenge did not have sufficient legal grounds and dismissed the motion.
