Overview
- An independent tribunal found no compelling justification for Marketa Vondrousova’s refusal to submit to an out‑of‑competition test at her Prague home in December 2025 and imposed a four‑year ban from competition.
- Vondrousova says the testing officer rang her door late at night, did not show official identification, and that she refused entry because she feared for her safety.
- She presented professional anxiety evaluations reporting high scores as mitigation, but the tribunal rejected her mental‑health defence and a doctor who testified disputed parts of her account.
- Vondrousova was retested three days after the incident with a negative result, her team is waiting for the tribunal’s full written decision, and they are considering a timely appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
- The ruling has drawn public sympathy from players and raised calls for clearer testing protocols such as on‑site ID checks, advance verification, or accompaniment for late‑night visits and has sharpened debate over proportionality of sanctions in anti‑doping enforcement.