"Should have ranking reinstated, address how to compensate lost prize money" - Billie Jean King on Tara Moore's 19-month suspension being overturned

Billie Jean King has voiced her support for British tennis player Tara Moore after the latter's provisional suspension for doping was lifted after 19 months.

Tara Moore was provisionally suspended in May 2022 after testing positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone and Nandrolone metabolites in April 2022. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) lifted the suspension on Moore after it was found she "bore no fault or negligence for their adverse analytical findings and are therefore not subject to a period of ineligibility."

An independent panel found that Moore had consumed contaminated meat, which was the source of the false positive on the doping test. Now that her suspension has been overturned, the Brit can once again play tennis. However, she would need to rebuild her career after 19 months away.

WTA legend Billie Jean King was pleased to hear that Tara Moore was found innocent. Moreover, King advocated for Moore's ranking to be reinstated. She was ranked World No. 77 in doubles and was the highest-ranked female doubles player from the United Kingdom at the time of her suspension.

King also stated there should be a process to compensate Tara Moore for lost prize money during her unjust time away from tennis.

"Pleased to hear this news. ⁦@TaraMoore92 should have her ranking reinstated, and we need to address how to compensate her for lost prize money," Billie Jean King tweeted.

Other prominent figures in the tennis world, like Andy Murray's mother, Judy Murray, and Jannik Sinner's coach, Darren Cahill, also sympathized with Moore's plight. They also called for financial compensation and ranking reinstatement for the 31-year-old.

"So happy to see Tara Moore cleared by an independent panel after testing positive for anabolic steroids boldenone + nandrolone during WTA Bogotá in April last year. Panel agreed she had consumed contaminated meat + her provisional suspension has been lifted after 19 months," Judy Murray posted on X.

"Tara had just broken into top 100 and become the British #1 doubles player. 19 months is a long time to lose at any stage of a players career and you can’t put a price on the emotional + financial stress involved in clearing your name," she added.

"This timeline is so bad. It’ll take Tara 18-24 months to recover her rankings if everything goes perfectly. Tennis is a unique sport where we are wiped out & back to zero after 12 months. The @WTA should reinstate her rankings or at very least provide provisional rankings," Darren Cahill said.

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Tara Moore: "It's going to take more than 19 months to rebuild, repair and recuperate"

Tara Moore

Tara Moore responded to ITIA lifting her provisional suspension via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In an emotional message, she wrote that it would take over 19 months for her to rebuild her career, but that she would come back stronger when she makes a comeback on the WTA Tour.

Moore posted on X:

"It's going to take more than 19 months to rebuild, repair and recuperate from what we've been through, but we will come back stronger than ever. Thank you to everyone for the messages and hope to see you on the tennis court in 2024."

Tara Moore last played on the WTA Tour at the 2021 Grand Prix Sar La Princesse Lalla Meryem in Morocco. She bowed out in the second qualifying round of the WTA 250 tournament. Moore attained her highest ranking of World No. 145 in singles in 2017 and World No. 77 in doubles in 2022.