Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova faces 4-year ban after anti-doping visit

Marketa Vondrousova is facing a four-year ban after being charged by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) with refusing a doping test.

ITIA regulations state that a player commits an anti-doping violation if they ‘evade sample collection or refuse or fail to submit to sample collection without compelling justification after notification by a duly authorised person.’

The charge does not come with an automatic provisional suspension, so she remains unsuspended and able to continue playing on the tour, at least until the conclusion of the case.

If found guilty, Vondrousova faces a suspension of up to four years.

In an emotional statement to Instagram, the 2023 Wimbledon champion attempted to clear her name with her version of events from the December refusal.

“It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health. The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress,” she wrote on Instagram.

“For a long time, I’ve been dealing with injury, constant pressure, and ongoing sleep issues that left me feeling exhausted and fragile.

“It slowly wore me down more than I probably realised at the time. And on top of that, years of hateful messages and threats have affected how safe I feel in my own space.

“When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol – I reacted as a person who felt scared.

“In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything. Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F43.0) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (F41.1).

“In that moment, fear clouded my judgement and I just could not process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra [Kvitova], we don’t take strangers at our door lightly.”

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Vondrousova is referencing an attack on Kvitova where the former Wimbledon champion was slashed with a knife during a burglary in 2016.

Kvitova had to undergo significant surgery on her hand, which left her with lasting nerve damage and took her off the court for more than six months.

Vondrousova hasn’t played a singles match since the event in Adelaide in January, but did compete in a Billie Jean King Cup doubles tie against Switzerland.

In addition to her off-court issues, she has also been suffering from shoulder pain – a longstanding issue – and has withdrawn from the Rouen WTA 250.

“I’m trying to slowly find my way back – both on and off the court,” she concluded.

“Tennis has always been my world, but right now I’m also focusing on healing and getting through this in the best way I can.

“I’m still working to clear my name, but at the same time I need to take care of myself. Thank you to my boyfriend, my family, and everyone who has stood by me – it means more than I can explain.

“For now, I’m taking a bit of time to breathe and recover.”

Shortly after her Instagram story was published, the ITIA released an official statement stating that they ‘were aware’ of her comments, but couldn’t comment on the ‘specifics’ of the case.

“We are aware of the player’s comments,” the agency stated.

“We can confirm that an investigation is underway and the player has been charged with refusing a test. At this stage, we are not able to comment any further on the specifics.”

Dr Jan Exner, Vondrousova’s lawyer, provided a statement to Express Sport and reiterated that his client will be ‘cleared’ by the summer.

“Marketa is showing immense courage by speaking out about the overwhelming pressure that players often face in professional tennis,” he argued.

“For years, she has quietly endured toxic harassment, death threats, and the physical toll of chronic sleep deprivation. This situation was a breaking point.

“The combination of this long-term burden and a doping control encounter that failed to follow standard safety and identification protocols triggered a medically documented Acute Stress Reaction.

“In that moment, the process simply couldn’t be completed.

“Marketa takes her professional responsibilities very seriously, but she is a human being, not a machine.

“We are certain that once the full context is understood, her name will be cleared. We should know the result before this summer.”