Vondrousova Suspended Four Years for Refusing Test
The International Tennis Integrity Agency barred the 2023 Wimbledon champion after she refused a sample during an out-of-competition test at her Prague home.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Tennis
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The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced on June 22 a four-year suspension of Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, for refusing to provide a sample during an out-of-competition test in December 2025. A tribunal found she offered no compelling justification for the refusal.
Why it matters
The ruling bars Vondrousova from competition and from entering tournament grounds in any role for the length of the suspension. Her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is pending, and the four-year suspension remains in force until that body rules.
The four-year suspension stands until the Court of Arbitration for Sport rules on Vondrousova's appeal, which has not yet been decided. She remains subject to whereabouts rules and testing while unable to compete.
The players
Marketa Vondrousova
A Czech professional tennis player and 2023 Wimbledon champion who was previously ranked as high as World No. 6.
International Tennis Integrity Agency
The independent body responsible for policing anti-corruption and anti-doping rules in professional tennis.
The details
An officer arrived at Vondrousova's Prague home around 8pm during an out-of-competition test in December 2025, and she refused to provide a sample. Vondrousova said she feared for her safety because the officer did not, in her account, properly identify himself.
Timeline
December 2025: Vondrousova refused the sample at her Prague home.
June 22, 2026: The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced the four-year suspension.
June 21, 2030: The suspension is scheduled to end.
Legal Context
The sanction rests on the World Anti-Doping Code's out-of-competition testing and whereabouts requirements, under which refusing a sample is treated as a violation. The case shows how those rules apply to a tennis champion who has challenged the sanction through appeal.
Vondrousova cannot compete or enter tournament grounds in any role until the suspension ends or is overturned on appeal. Her boyfriend Andrew Paulson's matches were watched from a hotel room during this period.
The takeaway
Refusing a doping test carries the same weight as a positive result under the rules, and the four-year penalty applies regardless of the reason given. Athletes facing out-of-competition testing should understand that declining a sample can be sanctioned as seriously as a failed one.
What happens next
Vondrousova's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is pending, and the four-year suspension remains in force until that body rules.
Further reading
Track more coverage in the Tennis section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sportskeeda.
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