A $20m negligence claim filed by British doubles player Tara Moore against the Women’s Tennis Association has opened a further legal front in professional tennis, drawing support from the breakaway Professional Tennis Players Association.
Moore, 33, this week initiated proceedings in the US district court for the southern district of New York, alleging the WTA failed in its duty of care after she received a four-year doping ban. She is represented by King & Spalding, the legal partner of the PTPA, which is separately pursuing claims against the WTA, the Association of Tennis Professionals and three grand slam tournaments in the same court. The PTPA is not funding Moore’s case, though sources indicate the firm is acting on a pro bono basis.
The dispute follows Moore’s suspension in June 2022 after positive tests for boldenone and nandrolone at a tournament in Bogotá. She has consistently denied doping. In December 2023, an independent tribunal cleared her, concluding contaminated meat was the likely source of the adverse findings. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which in July 2025 reinstated the original four-year ban and removed credit for the 19 months already served. The ruling stated Moore had not sufficiently demonstrated that the high nandrolone levels were accidental.
In her US claim, Moore argues the WTA failed to warn players about contamination risks associated with consuming meat, particularly before competing in Colombia. She is seeking damages for alleged reputational and financial harm. The filing also contends that the ITIA afforded preferential treatment to higher-profile players, citing shorter bans imposed on Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek in contamination cases.
A WTA spokesperson said the arbitration had been conducted by a neutral arbitrator and that there was no basis to overturn the award, adding the organisation would respond through the appropriate legal process. The ITIA was unavailable for comment. The litigation unfolds alongside the PTPA’s broader antitrust action and investment plans for a proposed new global tour, reinforcing tensions over governance and accountability within the sport.
