New Delhi: Ex Wimbledon In December 2025, champion Marketa Vondrousova was banned for four years for refusing to take an anti-doping test at home. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said an independent tribunal found the Czech player to have violated anti-doping rules. Her ban will last until June 21, 2030, but she has the option of appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Vondrousova made history by becoming the first unseeded player to win Wimbledon in 2023. She said the incident happened at a difficult time in her life and her behavior was related to her mental health issues.“It’s very difficult for me to talk about it, but I want to be honest with you about my mental health,” Vondrousova said. “The recent doping control incident occurred because I reached my breaking point after months of physical and mental stress.”The 26-year-old had earlier said she refused the test due to “mental stress” and fear when testing officials “knocked on my door late at night without properly identifying myself”.According to ITIA, Vondrousova “did not submit a sample when notified by the Doping Control Officer (DCO) during an out-of-competition test at her home on December 3, 2025 at approximately 8:00 pm.”Vondrousova’s attorney, Howard Jacobs, helped Simona Halep reduce her four-year ban. The Czech star now joins a list of major players linked to doping cases in recent years, including Simona Halep, Yannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.The decision was taken just days before Wimbledon begins.
