Vondrousova, after the ITIA sanction: "I never doped and never tested positive"

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Marketa Vondrousova received the worst news that a professional tennis player can receive in their career: the ITIA, the anti-doping agency for tennis, has suspended her from playing for four years. The reason being her failure to undergo a doping test at the end of 2025, which, in the agency's eyes, is punished the same as a positive result because the system aims to prevent athletes from benefiting by not providing a sample when required to do so.

Upon learning the news, the Wimbledon 2023 champion, 26 years old, wasted no time in sharing her thoughts through a letter posted on Instagram, where she confesses how she has experienced the entire process since that fateful day. As of now, and pending a possible appeal, which she has not mentioned, she is left unable to play professional tennis until June 21, 2030.

This is the full letter from Marketa Vondrousova after being notified of the ITIA's four-year playing ban

I never thought I would write something like this. And honestly, I wouldn't wish what I've been through these past months on anyone. Waking up every day with uncertainty, fear, and the sense of losing control over your own life is difficult to put into words. It's been an incredibly exhausting and painful period that affected me much deeper than I could have ever imagined.

Tennis has been my whole life. From the moment I first held a racket as a little girl, through thousands of training sessions, injuries, comebacks, and moments that I could only dream of back then. It gave me everything. And I gave it all back.
I have never doped and never tested positive. Throughout my career, I have undergone countless anti-doping tests and have always stepped onto the court with a clear conscience. Barely three days after the incident that ultimately changed my life, I underwent another test. The result was negative, just like all the previous tests.

The last seven months have been the hardest of my life. Seven months of waiting. Seven months of uncertainty. Seven months of struggle. Seven months of hoping every day that everything would end well in the end. Instead, they turned into months filled with fear, powerlessness, and exhaustion. A time in which I had to open up my private life in ways most people would only share with their closest.

A time in which I did everything within my power to prove I had nothing to hide. I cooperated. Answered all questions. Provided everything that was asked of me. Testified in court and did everything possible to explain what happened. I gave it my all. Every drop of my energy, strength, and conviction.

Marketa Vondrousova’s statement on IG after receiving a 4 year ban

“One of the hardest things was coming to terms with the fact that the future of the career I had spent my entire life building was no longer in my hands.
All the while, you hope that the truth will be enough.… pic.twitter.com/hgeRDG12cN

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 22, 2026

Even during these seven months, I continued to fulfill all my responsibilities as a professional athlete. Every day, I updated my whereabouts information to be available for testing at any moment. And tests were conducted. All tests during this period came back negative, just like all tests throughout my career. This whole process changed me. Sleepless nights. Anxiety. Days when functioning normally was difficult. Moments of complete powerlessness. One of the hardest things was accepting that the future of the career I had built my whole life was no longer in my hands. All the while, you hope that the truth will be enough. That everything will be explained. That if you are honest, cooperative, and do everything you can, it will be enough. But sometimes, it isn't.

Professional sports means accepting rules and controls. I have always respected them and understand why they exist. I only wish they never lose their humanity. And that those responsible for enforcing the rules are held to the same standards.
There were many moments when I felt I had no strength left to go on.

That's why I'm proud that we never gave up and fought until the last day for what we believed in. Today, however, I cannot say what comes next. The last seven months have left scars that won't fade overnight. They took away my joy, confidence, and the sense of security I once had. And honestly, I don't know how long it will take to regain those things.

What I do know is that I did everything within my power. Throughout my career and during these challenging months, I acted according to my conscience. And whatever happens in the future, I can always say that. Thanks to my family. Thanks to my friends. Thanks to all who stood by me when it would have been easier to walk away. They showed me what truly matters in life.

Titles, trophies, and victories eventually fade. The people who stand by you when your world falls apart, don't. And that's why I will always be grateful. Today, honestly, I don't know what comes next. For the first time in my life, I have no plan. For the first time in my life, I don't know where the road ahead leads.

The last seven months have taken more from me than I ever thought they could. They changed me. They left wounds that won't disappear overnight. And honestly, I don't know how long it will take me to become the person I was before all this. But they didn't take everything. They didn't take away the person I am.
They didn't take away the values I believe in. And they didn't take away the people who were with me during the darkest months of my life. Right now, that's what I hold on to. Because although this chapter ends with more pain than I ever imagined, it doesn't erase who I am, what I believe in, or everything I gave to this sport. I still know who I am. And no decision can take that away.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Vondrousova, tras la sanción de la ITIA: "Nunca me dopé y nunca di positivo"