Carnage continues for Wimbledon as former champ banned and 16 players withdraw from slam

Marketa Vondrousova has become the latest tennis star to be withdrawn from Wimbledon after the former champion copped a four-year ban for missing a doping test. The list of player withdrawals has grown to 16 after Reilly Opelka, Eliot Spizzirri and Cristina Bucsa all pulled out of the grass-court grand slam this week.

And the event was rocked by a bombshell on Monday when 2023 champion Vondrousova was hit with a four-year ban. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the 26-year-old Czech player refused to submit a sample when notified by a doping control officer of an out-of-competition test attempt at her home in December of 2025.

Vondrousova claimed she held concerns for her safety because she wasn't aware the test was meant to be taking place, and said "months of physical and mental stress" affected her decision making. Writing on social media in April, she said she was scared when the doping officer approached her door late in the evening "without properly identifying themselves or following protocol", adding: "In that moment it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything."

An independent tribunal concluded the evidence offered "no compelling justification" for the World No.22 to refuse the test. Players are required to log their whereabouts for an allotted hour each day for anti-doping tests outside of competition.

Marketa Vondrousova banned until 2030

ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said in a statement: "We understand that the testing process is uncomfortable, and acknowledge that it is an additional burden for players whose jobs already come with a high level of pressure and scrutiny, but it is essential to protect fair competition. Safety and welfare of players and our testers is really important to us.

“Our testers are well-trained, professional, and the gender of our testing witness always matches the player. They carry ID at all times, and players are able to verify their identity in other ways if they are ever unsure."

Vondrousova's suspension runs until June 21, 2030. She's reportedly considering an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The Czech became the first unseeded player ever to win the Wimbledon women's singles title when she beat Ons Jabeur in the 2023 final. She also made the French Open final in 2019 (losing to Ash Barty) and won a silver medal at the 2021 Olympics.

Her ban has taken the number of Wimbledon withdrawals to 16. Carlos Alcaraz is the most high-profile absentee due to a wrist injury that also saw him miss the French Open. Lorenzo Musetti, who made the semi-finals in 2024, is out with a quad issue, while Opelka and Spizzirri became the latest withdrawals this week.

List of Wimbledon withdrawals:

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