Marketa Vondrousova has revealed the reason behind her recent missed doping test which could see her banned from tennis.
The Czechia hasn’t played tennis since Adelaide at the start of the year where she withdrew from her second round match against Kimberly Birrell.
Vondrousova had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a shoulder injury hasn’t played a single tournament since then.
Today, it has come out that Vondrousova is under doping investigation for missing a doping test in December at her home in Prague.
However, it now turns out the reasons behind the missing doping test are ones of trauma and the former Wimbledon champion has revealed the reasons behind her absence.
Speaking on Twitter Vondrousova detailed her ordeal and revealed she has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, “It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health,” Vondrousova stated on Instagram stories.
“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 realised at the time.
“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 as a person who felt scared. In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not avoiding anything.
“Experts confirmed I suffered an Acute Stress Reaction (F43.O) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (F41.1). In that moment, fear clouded my judgement and I just couldn’t process the situation rationally. After what happened to Petra, we don’t take strangers at our door lightly. I’m trying to slowly find my way back – both on and off the court.
“Tennis has always been my world, but right now I’m also focusing on healing and getting through this in the best way I can. I’m still working to clear my name, but at the same I need to take care of myself. Thank you to my boyfriend, my family and everyone who has stood by me – it means more than I can explain. For now, I’m taking a bit of time to breathe and recover.”
If Vondrousova, is found to have missed the drug test and doesn’t successfully appeal then she could be banned from the sport.
However, for now everyone wishes Vondrousova a swift mental and physical recovery as she looks to return to the sport quickly.
