“I reacted like a scared person”

Marketa Vondrousova's troubles have multiplied: after the shoulder injury, the Czech risks a harsh suspension, which can go up to 4 years, from the International Tennis Integrity Agency. On December 3, 2025, she could not provide a sample for a doping control, one which, however, the player reports, was conducted in an unconventional way.

The 2023 Wimbledon champion and her lawyer, Jan Exnerdetailed the case in the Czech press. It all started at the end of last year, when an agent from the German Anti-Doping Agency called the athlete, she told in an interview for iSport.

The agent arrived outside the specified hours. According to the doping regulations, tennis players indicate for each day where they are in a time interval so that doping controls can take place. However, in December, in the case of the Czech player, the control did not comply with this specification, and the agent did not present any document to identify herself, says the player.

Vondrousova told the quoted source that she found the situation out of the ordinary and refused to allow the official to enter the house due to suspicion and concern. “When I got downstairs, she immediately started asking me to let her in. She didn't ask for my ID or show me hers. No document attesting that she was authorized to carry out a doping control”, said Marketa.

Marketa Vondrousova: “An unknown person was sitting there, wanting to enter my living room”

“It stressed me that an unknown person was sitting there, wanting to enter my living room without showing me any authorization. Nothing happened that should normally have happened. At that moment, I told myself that anyone could say that,” she stated in the interview for iSport.

Finally, the former world number 6 failed to provide the sample for a doping control, which is automatically considered a rule violation equivalent to a positive test. ITIA requests a suspension that can reach 4 years.

Vondrousova added that three days after the failed test in December, another representative of the same German agency came and everything went smoothly. “It was another lady, she showed her ID, everything went smoothly. For me, it wasn't about avoiding the test or hiding anything at all. I have done a lot of tests in my life and everything has always been fineshe said.

Marketa Vondrousova: “I reached the limit of my powers after months of physical and mental stress”

A hearing before the independent Sports Resolutions tribunal in London will take place in the coming months, where Vondrousova and her lawyer will plead their case in an attempt to avoid the threat of suspension. “It will be a showdown between claims. And we will try to prove that the agent lied,” Exner said, noting that in her report she said she followed the rules.

Marketa also detailed its situation in a social media post. “The recent incident during doping control occurred because I reached the limit of my powers after months of physical and mental stress,” she wrote. “I've been dealing with injuries, constant pressure and persistent sleep problems for a long time, which left me feeling tired and vulnerable. These gradually wore me down more than I probably realized at the time,” she added.

“On top of all this, years of hate mail and threats have affected my sense of safety in my own space. When someone rang my doorbell late at night without properly identifying themselves or following established procedure, I reacted like a scared person. In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about trying to avoid something“, the player continued.

“The experts confirmed that I suffered an acute stress reaction and generalized anxiety disorder. At that point, fear clouded my judgment and I simply couldn't assess the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra, we no longer treat strangers at the door lightly,” she recalled the assault on Petra Kvitova, suffered in her apartment in 2016, which caused her serious injuries.

Tennis has always been my world, but right now I'm also focusing on healing and getting through this as best I can. I'm still working to rehabilitate my name, but I have to take care of myself too – Marketa Vondrousova

Vondrousova is not currently under provisional suspension, so she was able to compete for the Czech team in the BJK Cup qualifiers and will be able to compete in tournaments until the decision of the independent tribunal.

She can also count on the support of the Czech Tennis Association. “We support Marketa, we support her and we will help her as much as we can“, he declared Jakub Kotrbathe president of the federation.