Former Wimbledon Champion Marketa Vondrousova Could Face 4 Year Ban

There's a chance tennis fans won't see former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on the court for a very long time.

Vondrousova, the former world No. 6, had to withdraw from the Australian Open this past January due to a shoulder injury. She then returned to action for Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers, but her return to the court was short-lived.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed this week that Vondrousova has been charged with "refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection without compelling justification after notification by a duly authorized Person." Nothing has been finalized yet, but she could face a ban of up to four years.

On Friday, the talented player from the Czech Republic shared her side to the story. She said a December visit from a doping control official triggered an "acute stress reaction."

"The recent doping control incident happened because I reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress. For a long time, I've 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 realized at the time," Vondrousova said.

"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 like a person who felt scared. In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything. Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F43.O) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (F41.1). In that moment, fear clouded my judgment and I just couldn't process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra (Kvitová), we don't take strangers at our door lightly."

Tennis fans heartbroken for Vondrousova.

While tennis fans are devastated over the thought of Vondrousova being banned for multiple years, they're far more concerned about her mental health.

"Wow this is so sad," one fan commented. "You truly never know what someone is going through behind closed doors... I hope she comes back stronger."

"So unfortunate for her. Hope she makes it back- she plays a great style of tennis," a second fan said.

"I hope Marketa gets the treatment and care she needs. This why mental health has to be added to the protected ranking it no different to any long term physical injury and in some cases it needs more long term care," another fan wrote.

When healthy, Vondrousova is a pleasure to watch on the tennis court. Unfortunately, she has dealt with plenty of heartbreak over the last few seasons.

Time will tell if Vondrousova can clear her name and return to the WTA Tour.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 4:57 PM.