Ex-Wimbledon champion Vondrousova says mental stress led to doping incident

image

Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has been charged with a doping offence by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

The Czech player, who triumphed at the All England Club in 2023, is alleged to have refused a drugs test in December.

In an Instagram post published on Friday afternoon, Vondrousova opened up about her mental health and said the incident ‌occurred because she had “reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress”.

She claimed to have felt “scared” when a doping control officer arrived at her home at 8.15pm demanding an immediate test.

A statement from an ITIA spokesman read: “We are aware of the player’s comments.

“We can confirm that an investigation is under way and the player has been charged with refusing a test. At this stage, we are not able to comment any further on the specifics.”

Vondrousova has elected not to take a provisional suspension and the offence does not warrant an immediate ban, meaning she is free to compete for the time being.

The 26-year-old has not played a tournament since the Adelaide International in January and withdrew from the Australian Open citing a shoulder injury.

Search this website