Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has been handed a four-year suspension from professional tennis after refusing to submit to an anti-doping test, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Monday.
The 26-year-old Czech star, who became the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon singles title in 2023, was charged after declining an out-of-competition drug test at her home in December 2025. According to the ITIA, a doping control officer arrived at Vondrousova’s residence around 8 p.m. to conduct the test, but the former world number six refused to provide a sample. Under anti-doping regulations, refusing a test carries the same starting penalty as a positive doping result.
Vondrousova defended her actions, claiming she feared for her safety when an unfamiliar person arrived at her door late in the evening. She also cited ongoing mental health struggles, including stress and anxiety, as factors that affected her judgment. However, an independent tribunal ruled that her explanation did not provide sufficient justification for refusing the test and imposed a four-year ban, which will run until June 21, 2030.
In a statement, Vondrousova maintained her innocence, noting that she has never failed a drug test throughout her career and tested negative just days after the incident. She described the past several months as emotionally exhausting and said she never intended to evade anti-doping authorities.
The ruling means Vondrousova will be unable to compete in, coach at, or attend sanctioned tennis events during the suspension. She retains the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
