Marketa Vondrousova‘s life pretty much turned upside down earlier this year in June. The 2023 Wimbledon champion was handed a four-year ban for refusing to take part in an anti-doping test. She has received severe criticism since getting suspended and has even been labelled a “doper” by many. Now, Vondrousova has hit back at the criticism.

“I’ve been tested regularly throughout this period, including during my suspension, and all the tests I’ve taken so far have come back negative,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “A new negative test doesn’t, on its own, change my situation. That’s also why it’s so hard to read comments from people calling me a ‘doper,’ or to hear people from the tennis world say I look like I’ve smoked cannabis somewhere.”

Still, that is far from the only challenge that Vondrousova is facing in her daily life. The ITIA’s rules also prevent her from coaching at or attending events organised or sanctioned by the ITF, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams or national tennis associations.

In her post, Vondrousova further explained that many people had assumed a four-year suspension simply meant being unable to play, when she could no longer train at her club or use training facilities either. She also clarified that she remained subject to anti-doping testing while serving the suspension, a detail that had surprised people who contacted her after she discussed undergoing another test.

The rules also forbid her from attending her partner Andrew Paulson’s matches, and Vondrousova finds it hard to watch him from afar.

“My partner is also a professional tennis player. Tennis naturally plays a very important role in both our lives. But because of my suspension, I can’t attend his tournaments to support him, even just as a spectator, without accreditation. My partner is also a professional tennis player. Tennis naturally plays a very important role in both our lives. But because of my suspension, I can’t attend his tournaments to support him, even just as a spectator, without accreditation,” the post further read.

The suspension followed an incident on December 3, 2025, when a doping control officer arrived at Vondrousova’s Prague home. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the four-year sanction on June 22, 2026, after an independent tribunal ruled that she had refused to provide a sample without a “compelling justification”. The tribunal’s decision, however, did not establish that Vondrousova had tested positive for a prohibited substance. And in a test conducted three days after the refusal, Vondrousova tested negative.

Per the rules, players must provide their whereabouts information and remain available for testing during a designated one-hour period each day. However, the rules also permit out-of-competition testing outside that window.

In Vondrousova’s case, her declared testing slot was reportedly 7 a.m., while the officer arrived at approximately 8:15 p.m. on December 3, 2025. Vondrousova argued that the late visit and the officer’s alleged failure to identify themselves properly left her feeling unsafe and represented an intrusion into her privacy.

The tribunal’s full written decision, made public on July 31, added important details about the encounter. According to the report, Vondrousova initially communicated with the officer through the intercom and contacted her agent to ask about the procedure. The officer’s account described two exchanges through the intercom, whereas Vondrousova’s account differed on the sequence, claiming there was only one, per BBC.

Both sides agreed that they came face-to-face about ten minutes later when she went outside to walk her dog. She subsequently signed a document confirming that she was refusing the test, after the consequences had been explained to her. The panel viewed this as inconsistent with her explanation that she had perceived a serious threat.

ITIA’s CEO defended the organization’s decision to ban Marketa Vondrousova

ITIA’s CEO at the time, Karen Moorhouse, had refuted Vondrousova’s claims. According to her, the sample collector had the credentials and had been properly trained to collect samples without endangering the player’s safety. She also emphasized that the governing body’s top priority is to take care of the players’ health and safety.

“Unpredictable testing is an essential tool to protect clean sport,” said Moorhouse in the official ITIA statement. “The independent tribunal ultimately supported that principle. This case is an important reminder that players can be tested at any time, in any place, and that refusal comes with significant risk.”

Many players came to Vondrousova’s support after the ban was announced. The likes of Coco Gauff, Sorana Cirstea, Paula Badosa, and Eva Lys expressed sympathy for the Czech and wished her to bounce back strong. This showed that many were against the long suspension that Vondrousova was handed, even though she never failed a doping test.

However, there were those who retracted their support as well. Andy Roddick initially expressed sympathy for Vondrousova after the suspension was announced. However, after the full report and additional details emerged, Roddick revisited the case on his Served podcast in August and said that his view had changed.

He questioned the sequence of events, including Vondrousova’s account of being afraid of the person at her door and her subsequent decision to go outside with her dog and sign the refusal document. However, he did not dismiss the difficulty of surprise tests.

“I feel bad because someone’s career is coming to an end, but I don’t think she did much to help herself that night or after,” Roddick said.

Meanwhile, Vondrousova pursued a formal challenge. On August 25, 2026, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed that it had received her appeal against the four-year ban. No hearing date appears to have been set yet.