Vondrousova receives four-year ban for refusing anti-doping test

Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has been banned from professional tennis for four years after an independent tribunal ruled she refused an anti-doping test in December 2025 without “compelling justification,” officials said on Monday.

The sanction was issued by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and relates to an out-of-competition control. Officials said the tribunal found the 26-year-old Czech player did not comply when an anti-doping officer attempted to conduct the test.

Vondrousova denied doping and said she has never returned a positive test. She said she felt unsafe during the December 2025 incident and questioned whether the officer properly identified themselves or followed the correct procedures.

Her lawyer, Jan Exner, said an appeal is being considered, without providing further details.

What the sanction means for Vondrousova

During the ban, Vondrousova is not permitted to play in, coach at, or attend events organised or sanctioned by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the WTA, the ATP, the Grand Slam tournaments, or any national association, officials said.

Officials said the tribunal applied the sport’s maximum punishment for the violation. People around the player criticised the length of the sanction and argued the penalty was disproportionate.

The ruling was linked to an alleged refusal to submit to an out-of-competition test. Officials said the tribunal concluded the evidence offered did not amount to a compelling justification for non-compliance.

Player response and career background

Vondrousova said she was tested again three days after the December 2025 incident and that the result was negative, adding that all previous tests had also been negative.

She won Wimbledon in 2023 and reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in the same year. Vondrousova has also reached the French Open final and won an Olympic silver medal.

Vondrousova has played only two matches on the WTA Tour this year and withdrew from the Adelaide International in January because of a shoulder injury.

The next step will be whether Vondrousova lodges an appeal and, if so, how the case proceeds through the sport’s disciplinary process.