"No need to accuse anyone unless there's proof" - When Serena Williams remained classy about doping allegations against 3 players at Australian Open

Serena Williams once made her feelings clear about how she felt regarding doping allegations against three of her colleagues. Her comments came during the Australian Open in 2005.

Williams made her much-anticipated comeback in Melbourne after missing the 2004 event due to a severe knee injury. The 2003 champion began her campaign with a solid straight-sets victory against Camille Pin.

During a press conference, the American was asked about the doping saga involving three players, to which she initially replied that she wasn’t aware of it.

"Are you aware of the doping allegations against three other players?" the reporter asked.

"The doping allegations? No, I'm not," Williams replied.

The reporter then asked if she advocated for naming the players publicly before they were found guilty. She responded that she didn’t think it was necessary, believing it should wait until there was hard evidence.

"Three players were named - one of them has tested positive apparently in an exhibition event in the last year. They haven't provided any B samples. Do you advocate naming players before someone's been found guilty?" the reporter asked.

"I think there's no need to accuse anyone of anything unless there's hard proof," Serena Williams replied.

Serena Williams won Australian Open 2005

Serena Williams pictured at the 2005 Australian Open | Image Source: Getty

Serena Williams won her second Australian Open title in 2005, marking her seventh Grand Slam overall. She defeated compatriot Lindsay Davenport in the final to claim victory on the hard courts of Melbourne.

On her way to lifting the trophy, Williams defeated the likes of Camille Pin, Dally Randriantefy, Sania Mirza, Nadia Petrova, Amelie Mauresmo, and Maria Sharapova before facing Davenport.

Williams, who became the first player to climb from outside the Top 5 rankings to World No. 2 after a single tournament win, shared her feelings with the media, saying:

"Uhm, I'm excited to be No. 2 now. It's been a long way coming back. I'm almost to my goal, and it feels great. And this Grand Slam win, obviously, is great for me. You know, I feel good. I'm at No. 7 now. I'm like, 'Yeah, I feel so excited to be here.'"

She added:

"I haven't played enough tournaments yet, but I really feel that I'm doing the best that I can and I think it will all pay off. Eventually I'll be where I want to be."