Marketa Vondrousova has been banned from tennis for four years after refusing to allow a doping control officer into her home to administer a test. The 2023 Wimbledon champion received the maximum penalty from an independent tribunal on Monday.
The incident occurred in December 2025. The Czech player claimed she suffered an acute stress reaction and refused the test because she feared for her safety.
Vondrousova posted on social media that the incident happened because she had reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress. She stated that someone rang her door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol, causing her to react as a person who felt scared.
Vondrousova wrote that in that moment it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything.
Agency disputes claims
The International Tennis Integrity Agency denied that the doping officer, who was a woman, did not identify herself. The ITIA said Vondrousova actually signed a form confirming her refusal to take the test.
Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, said: "Safety and welfare of players and our testers is really important to us. Our testers are well-trained, professional, and the gender of our testing witness always matches the player."
Moorhouse stated that testers carry ID at all times, and players can verify their identity in other ways if they are unsure.
She added: "Unpredictable testing is an essential tool to protect clean sport. The independent tribunal ultimately supported that principle. This case is an important reminder that players can be tested at any time, in any place, and that refusal comes with significant risk."
Maximum penalty explained
The ITIA explained the reasoning for the maximum ban: "The starting point for a sanction when a player refuses a test must be the same as if they had tested positive. This is to ensure that anyone who is doping cannot serve a shorter ban simply by refusing to be tested."
Active refusal is considered far more serious than missing a test. The punishment must be draconian so dopers do not refuse tests to receive a lesser suspension. Jenson Brooksby previously received an 18 month ban for missing three tests, which was later reduced to 13 months.
The ITIA confirmed Vondrousova submitted medical evidence of a psychological condition. The agency noted that the bar for such a defence is extremely high, though they could not comment on the independent tribunal findings before publication.
Vondrousova is 26 and will be 30 when she returns from the suspension. Given the uphill struggle of getting back to her best after four years out, the ban comes close to ending her career.