US Court Dismisses British Tennis Player Tara Moore's £15 Million Lawsuit
A federal judge ruled against Tara Moore's claim that the WTA failed to warn her about contaminated meat in Colombia, which she argued caused her doping ban.
A United States district court has dismissed British tennis player Tara Moore's lawsuit seeking £15 million in damages from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Moore had alleged that the WTA's failure to warn players about the risk of contaminated meat in Colombia led to her positive doping test and subsequent four-year ban.
In April 2022, Moore tested positive for nandrolone and boldenone at a WTA 250 event in Bogota. An independent tribunal later ruled in December 2023 that contaminated meat was the likely source of the banned substances. Despite the tribunal finding Moore bore "no fault or negligence," the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) appealed the decision. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ultimately ruled in favor of the ITIA, and Moore was banned until 2028.
Following the CAS ruling, Moore initiated proceedings with the American Arbitration Association, claiming the WTA's silence on the specific danger posed by eating meat in Colombia directly caused her positive test and subsequent harm. The arbitrator in that case supported the CAS decision and dismissed Moore's claim against the WTA.
Moore then filed a motion in the United States District Court in New York, arguing that the arbitrator had denied her a fair hearing. She sought at least $20 million in compensatory damages, asserting the WTA "stayed silent in the face of a known and specific danger and then shifted the blame for its own negligence" to her.
On Friday, United States District Judge Andrew Carter found Moore's legal challenge was "not justified" on a legal basis, effectively upholding the prior dismissals. The WTA and ITIA have been approached for comment.