ITIA Spokesperson Responds to Marketa Vondrousova’s Comments Amid Doping Row: “Investigation is Underway”

Marketa Vondrousova's last tour-level match was at the Adelaide International in January.

ITIA Spokesperson Responds to Marketa Vondrousova’s Comments Amid Doping Row: “Investigation is Underway”

Marketa Vondrousova (via Tennis365)

In Short
  • Marketa Vondrousova has been charged with a doping offence by the ITIA for a missed test incident.
  • The investigation is ongoing, and Vondrousova is not currently suspended, allowing her to compete.
  • She has expressed her focus on healing and mental health while working to clear her name.

Marketa Vondrousova has been formally charged by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) with a doping offense following a missed test under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP). The case stems from a doping control incident at her home last season.

The ITIA charged Vondrousova under Article 2.3 of the anti-doping code, which covers refusal or failure to submit to sample collection without compelling justification. According to the ITIA, the case remains under investigation and does not currently carry any automatic provisional suspension, leaving the corner Wimbledon champion eligible to compete.

On Friday (April.17), Vondrousova released a statement on social media, which frames the incident that happened last year within a broader personal context. She explained that the testing officer arrived outside her designated one-hour whereabouts window and did not properly identify themselves.

The reaction led to fear rather than intent to evade the test during the incident. The situation has disrupted Vondrousova’s competitive period, as she has not played a tour-level singles match in January this year due to injuries and fitness issues, which have been a major concern since her Wimbledon win in 2023.

Her last appearance in a competitive match was at the Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers last weekend, where she only played in the doubles. The ITIA spokesperson revealed to Express Sport that even though Vondrousova has been charged for test evasion, she has not been suspended, and that the case is still under investigation:

We are aware of the player’s comments. We can confirm that an investigation is underway and the player has been charged with refusing a test. At this stage, we are not able to comment any further on the specifics. A Player evading Sample collection; or refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection without compelling justification after notification by a duly authorised Person.

Several players in the past have evaded testing. Some of them are Jenson Brooksby, Mikael Ymer, Viktor Troicki, and Alize Cornet. All were suspended apart from Cornet for missing the test. Brooksby missed the test three times in 12 months, so he was suspended for 18 months on tour. Cornet missed the same number of tests but was not suspended because the investigation found that her apartment intercom was broken.

Marketa Vondrousova hopes to heal and return to the tour in her best form

Marketa Vondrousova’s test-evasion case unfolds amid reduced on-court activity on tour. The Czech Republic star’s last full competitive stretch came at the 2025 US Open, where she reached the quarter-finals before pulling out due to an injury, giving Aryna Sabalenka a walkover to the semi-finals.

Marketa Vondrousova
Marketa Vondrousova (via Tennis365)

However, she defeated top 10 players Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina en route to the quarter-finals. Since then, her results on tour have been heavily inconsistent and worrying. In her statement on Instagram on Friday, she admitted that she’s trying to find her way back to the sport, but she’s focused on healing and mental health:

I’m 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. 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, I’m taking a bit of time to breathe and recover.

Vondrousova’s last win on tour came at the Adelaide International, where she defeated Liudmila Samsonova in three sets. She was meant to face Kimberly Birrell in the next round of the tournament, but the Czech star pulled out due to injury. Since then, she has not played in any competitive event on tour.

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