Wimbledon Champion Vondrousova Faces Doping Investigation Amid Injury Layoff
Injury has kept Vondrousova out since Melbourne. Now the Wimbledon champ faces a doping case that could sideline her for four years..
Wimbledon champion Vondrousova under investigation for doping-rule violation. Vondrousova’s return delayed by injury, now faces possible 4-year doping ban...
Marketa Vondrousova has missed WTA events for four months, largely due to persistent shoulder problems. The Czech player is also under investigation for a possible anti-doping rule violation.
A Wimbledon champion and Olympic silver medalist, Vondrousova is regarded as one of the most talented players on the women’s tour. But she hasn’t played in four months.
Her last match came in Melbourne at the season’s opening Grand Slam. She beat Liudmila Samsonova in round one, then pulled out of the tournament.
“I’m truly sorry I had to pull out of the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues. After everything I’ve been through, I have to put my health first, even though this decision wasn’t easy,” she said in a statement at the time.
Her singles layoff has now reached four months, though she did play doubles for the national team at the BJK Cup in Switzerland during that span.
But Vondrousova faces other issues too. According to iSport sources, a doping control officer visited her last December, but Vondrousova declined to comply because the officer showed up outside the designated time slot.
“It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health.
“The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of psychic and mental stress.
“For a long time, I have been dealing with injury, constant pressure, and ongoing sleep issues that left me feeling exhausted and fragile. It slowly wore me down more than I probably realised at the time,” Vondrousova wrote in a statement on Instagram.
“On top of that, years of hateful messages and threats have affected how safe I feel in my own space.
“When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol, I reacted as a person who felt scared. In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything,” she explained.
“Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F.43.0) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (F41.1). In that moment, fear clouded my judgement, and I just couldn’t process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra, we don’t take strangers at our door lightly,” she added, referring to the 2016 attack on fellow Czech Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
BREAKING:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 18, 2026
Marketa Vondrousova has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues.
“I'm really sorry that I had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to ongoing shoulder issues. After everything I've been dealing with, I need to prioritize my health, even… pic.twitter.com/gAU33w9aAZ
Most recently, Vondrousova pulled out of the tournament in Rouen, France, and her absence could last a while yet, even though she’s entered for the Madrid event.
“Im trying to slowly find my way back - both on and off the court. Tennis has always been my world, but right now I’m also focusing on healing and getting through this in the best way I can,” she said about her current state.
“I'm still working to clear my name, but at the same time, I need to take care of myself. Thank you to my boyfriend, my family, and everyone who has stood by me - it means more than I can explain. For now, im taking a bit of time to breathe and recover,” she concluded.
Anti-doping official says late visits are encouraged
Her alleged doping violation will reportedly go to court in June, with a potential suspension of up to four years that could effectively end her career.
Martin Cizek, head of the Czech anti-doping agency, acknowledges that such situations do occur: “WADA wants to be more effective, and one of the current trends is to test more intelligently and investigate more thoroughly. Officers are encouraged to test athletes outside of competitions and to be stricter.
“‘Catch them, go to their homes,’ the organisation’s leadership urges, advising officers to visit even outside the listed time slots, which increases the chances of detecting banned substances,” he explained on the Flashscore's Livesport Daily podcast.
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