Vondrousova, ex-Wimbledon champion, insists she has ‘never doped’

Vondrousova, ex-Wimbledon champion, insists she has ‘never doped’Vondrousova, who won Wimbledon in 2023, was issued a four-year ban from tennis after she refused to submit a ⁠sample.Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova insisted she “never doped” after an anti-doping watchdog had banned her from tennis for four years.The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Monday blamed the 26-year-old Czech for failing to open the door to an anti-doping officer in December 2025.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3World Cup knockouts: Who has made it to the round of 32 stage?list 2 of 3Over to you, Ronaldo: Can Portugal bounce back against Uzbekistan?list 3 of 3England face Ghana: Can Three Lions roar to the World Cup knockouts?end of listThe 2023 Wimbledon winner claimed in April that she was scared when the officer rang the bell “without properly identifying themselves or following protocol”.“I have never doped. I have never had a positive test,” she said on Instagram late on Monday.“Throughout my entire career, I have undergone countless anti-doping controls and have always stepped onto the court with a clear conscience.“Just three days after the incident that ultimately changed my life, I was tested again. The result was negative, just like every test before it.”Her lawyer, Jan Exner, told AFP news agency on Monday they would consider an appeal but refused to elaborate.An independent tribunal dealing with Vondrousova’s case ruled the evidence offered “no compelling justification” for the World No. 122 to refuse the test.‘Pointing a finger’“I would not wish what I have been through over the past few months on anyone. Waking up every day with uncertainty, fear, and the feeling that you are losing control over your own life is something that is difficult to put into words,” Vondrousova said.“It has been an incredibly exhausting and painful period that affected me far more deeply than I could ever have imagined,” she added.