(In Pictures) Marketa Vondrousova Criticizes Anti-Doping Officials After Surprise Late-Night Check

Marketa Vondrousova revealed that the anti-doping official intruded her privacy.

(In Pictures) Marketa Vondrousova Criticizes Anti-Doping Officials After Surprise Late-Night Check

Markéta Vondroušová (via X/Tennis Infinity/Instagram)

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Marketa Vondrousova has slammed anti-doping officials on social media for unexpectedly visiting for a test. The former Wimbledon champion published a statement on her Instagram story criticizing the visit for the test being outside her testing window and that the WTA Tour has ended.

The WTA Tour ended in November after the season-ending tournament in Riyadh. However, according to the current regulations, players must indicate a time, the day, and the location where they will be during the year. That means, each player chooses a one-hour window when they will be available for a surprise test at their home, every day of the year.

This anti-doping rule has drawn the attention of fans on social media following the complaints of Vondrousova. This is because the Anti-Doping Program requires players to provide accurate information about their whereabouts for out-of-competition controls, known as the “Three Strikes Rule“.

Should a player accumulate three whereabouts failures or not be present at the time of presentation for 12 months, it will be considered an anti-doping rule violation, and it will be sanctioned as a positive doping result. This means that the player can be awarded one or two years’ suspension and could go up to four years depending on the degree of fault.

However, Vondrousova revealed on her Instagram story that the anti-doping official arrived at a time that did not correspond with her time window. The Czech Republic star revealed that the official intruded into her privacy and added that it was a rude action from the anti-doping controller:

Every day, we are required to be at home for one specific hour doping control. I respect that rule — every single day. Tonight, however, a tester arrived at 8:15 p.m. and told me that the time I had declared doesn’t matter and that I must be tested right now. When I pointed out that it’s outside my testing window and a serious intrusion into my privacy, I was told: ‘This is the life of a professional athlete.’

Marketa Vondrousova 1
Marketa Vondrousova’s statement on Instagram

Swedish star Mikael Ymer was found guilty of the Three Strikes anti-doping rule after he accumulated three whereabouts failures during 2022. He was further suspended for 18 months, and shortly after that, he decided to hang up his racket but made a U-turn this season after admitting that he regretted his decisions.

Marketa Vondrousova clarified her stance on a major anti-doping rule

Marketa Vondrousova finished the season as World No. 34, which was a commendable achievement considering the numerous injuries she had to contend with this season and in 2024. The 26-year-old’s only title came at the Berlin Tennis Open, where she defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals and Wang Xinyu in the final.

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Marketa Vondrousova (Image via Imago)

However, after slamming the anti-doping official for intruding into her privacy, Vondrousova clarified that her complaint is not about avoiding tests, but that she expects the rule regarding the daily time window to be respected by both players and the organization (International Tennis Integrity Agency):

Is it normal for doping officers to sit in our living rooms at night waiting for us to pee? This is not about avoiding a test — it’s about respect. Respect for the rules that we follow, and for the personal life we’re entitled to after a long day of training and competition. Rules should apply to everyone. Even to those enforcing them.

Vondrousova failed to win a singles match during the Asian swing, despite competing at the Ningbo Open and Japan Open. The former Wimbledon champion’s final win of the season came at the US Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before withdrawing due to an injury, when she was set to face the eventual champion, Aryna Sabalenka.

Also Read: Emma Raducanu Calls Out Top Players for ‘Moaning’ About Hectic Tennis Calendar