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Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has been banned for four years for refusing an anti-doping test.
Vondrousova, 26, was charged by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after denying a doping control officer entry to her home to conduct the test in December 2025.
The Czech player said in April she feared for her safety when the officer called and said they failed to follow “protocol”.
But a tribunal determined Vondrousova, who became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title in 2023, provided «no compelling justification» for refusing a test.
Vondrousova’s suspension will end on 21 June 2030, but she has a right to appeal against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
“I have never doped, I have never had a positive test. Throughout my entire career I have undergone countless anti-doping controls and have always stepped on to the court with a clear conscience,” Vondrousova wrote in a statement. Also a French Open finalist in 2019, former world number six Vondrousova has not played competitively since January and dropped to 122nd in the rankings.
“I cannot say what comes next,” she added. “For the first time in my life I do not have a plan.”
During the hearing, Vondrousova explained stress and poor mental health had affected her decision-making, in addition to her safety concerns.
ITIA chief executive officer Karen Moorhouse said while the agency understands the testing process is “uncomfortable” and also acknowledges the additional burden it can carry for players competing, “it is essential to protect fair competition”.
Vondrousova said she felt scared when the officer approached her door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol, adding: “In that moment it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything.”
The ITIA said Vondrousova told the doping control officer she would not take the test and signed a refusal form when she went outside to walk her dog shortly afterwards.
Speaking to a small group of journalists after the decision was announced on Monday, Moorhouse said it was “extremely rare” for a player to refuse a doping test.
In 2024, Russian player Vladislav Ivanov also received a four-year ban for refusing to take a test during competition.
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