Vondrousova denies doping after four-year ban over missed test
The Czech player said she has never failed a drug test after the ITIA banned her for refusing an anti-doping control in December 2025.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Marketa Vondrousova has denied doping after tennis authorities issued a four-year ban over a missed anti-doping test. The suspension could keep the former Wimbledon champion out of sanctioned tennis events during what would be key years of her career.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency said Monday that Vondrousova failed to open the door to an anti-doping officer in December 2025. An independent tribunal handling the case ruled that the evidence gave “no compelling justification” for her refusal to take the test, according to the agency.
Vondrousova, 26, said on Instagram late Monday that she had “never doped” and had “never had a positive test.” She said she had undergone many anti-doping checks during her career and had competed “with a clear conscience.”
The Czech player said she was tested again three days after the incident and that the result was negative. In April, she said she had been frightened when the anti-doping officer rang the bell without, in her account, properly identifying themselves or following protocol.
Her lawyer, Jan Exner, told AFP on Monday that they would consider an appeal. He did not provide further details.
Under the ban, Vondrousova cannot play in, coach at or attend events organized or sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation, the WTA, the ATP, the Grand Slam tournaments or any national tennis association.
Vondrousova described the past several months as a period of uncertainty and fear. She said the case had affected her more than she had expected and called the experience exhausting and painful.
Vladislav Savrda, the manager of Vondrousova’s Prague club, criticized the decision in comments quoted by the Czech news agency CTK. He called the verdict “nonsensical and scandalous” and argued that the ITIA had imposed the maximum penalty on Vondrousova while giving shorter bans to Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek after positive tests.
Savrda said the agency had been given a case in which it wanted to “point a finger,” and that Vondrousova was paying the price. The ITIA’s decision in her case was based on the missed test, not a positive sample.
Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon singles title when she took the trophy in 2023. She has also won three other WTA Tour singles titles, reached the French Open final in 2019 and won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
She climbed as high as No. 6 in the WTA rankings in 2023. She is currently ranked No. 122, according to the case details cited by the ITIA.
Her 2026 season has been limited. Vondrousova has played two WTA Tour matches this year and withdrew from the Adelaide International in January because of a shoulder injury.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.