Former Wimbledon champ could be banned from the sport for four years
Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova might face a ban of up to four years after an encounter with a doping control official.
Three years after her big win against Ons Jabeur at Wimbledon, Vondrousova is now under investigation for refusing a doping test, which could lead to a lengthy suspension.
The Czech player shared that in December, someone came to her home late at night and didn’t show who they were. Later, it turned out the visitor was a doping official trying to collect a sample, but Vondrousova didn’t let them in because she was scared for her safety.
She explained on Instagram that this situation was really hard for her to talk about, but she wanted to be open about her mental health. She said that after months of physical and mental stress, including injury, pressure, and trouble sleeping, she reached a breaking point. On top of that, years of hateful messages and threats have made her feel unsafe in her own home.
When someone came to her door late at night without properly identifying themselves, she felt afraid and reacted based on that fear, not because she wanted to avoid the test. Experts confirmed she had an Acute Stress Reaction and Generalised Anxiety Disorder at the time. She said fear clouded her judgment, and she couldn’t think clearly. She also mentioned an incident involving fellow Czech player Petra Kvitova, who was attacked in her home years ago, which made players more cautious about strangers coming to their doors.
A spokesperson from the International Tennis Integrity Agency told The Telegraph that they are aware of Vondrousova’s comments and that an investigation is ongoing. She has been charged with refusing a test but no further details were given.
Vondrousova has also spoken before about how intense testing can be for tennis players. Last year, she shared on Instagram how a tester showed up at 8:15 pm, outside the hours she had listed in her “whereabouts” form, and the tester told her, “This is the life of the professional athlete.”