LONDON (AP) — Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was suspended for four years on Monday for refusing an anti-doping test — even though the Czech player cited “mental stress” and fear when the testing agent “rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency made the announcement, saying that Vondrousova refused a test in December, and that the decision was reached by an independent
tribunal.
Vondrousova, who won Wimbledon in 2023, reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 that year.
The 26-year-old Vondrousova detailed her reaction to the missed test in an Instagram post in April.
“It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health,” Vondrousova said. “The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress.”
Vondrousova becomes the latest high-profile tennis player involved in a doping case after Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep.
Vondrousova’s ban expires June 21, 2030. She can appeal the decision to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Wimbledon starts next week.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
