Czechia's Marketa Vondrousova appeals four-year doping suspension to CAS

[p][b]"CAS can confirm an appeal,"[/b] a spokeswoman told AFP when asked about the Czech 2023 Wimbledon champion, who was sanctioned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for refusing to take an out-of-competition doping test in December 2025.[/p][p]A hearing date has not yet been set, but proceedings typically take place in the months following the appeal.[/p][p]It would be held behind closed doors unless [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vondrousova-marketa/EgKYrSR5/"]Vondrousova[/a] requests a public hearing - a very rare occurrence - with the final ruling issued several months later.[/p][p]The ITIA said that Vondrousova had failed to open the door to an anti-doping officer.[/p][p][b]Her suspension is due to run until June 21, 2030, and she has not played on the WTA Tour since January.[/b][/p][p]Vondrousova has slipped from inside the world's top 50 to number 153 in her absence.[/p][p]Vondrousova initially responded to the ban by saying she had "never doped".[/p][embed guid="a23a3ca6-3ae1-4620-bc36-e1c14971be97" url="https://x.com/josemorgado/status/2069052223452012667" social-type="twitter" /][p]The 27-year-old claimed in April that she was scared when the officer rang the bell "without properly identifying themselves or following protocol".[/p][p]Players are required to log their whereabouts for an allotted hour each day so that authorities can conduct anti-doping tests outside of competition.[/p][p]She has said that her fear was partly due to the knife attack on her compatriot and fellow former Wimbledon winner [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kvitova-petra/0vypNf1t/"]Petra Kvitova[/a] at her home in 2016.[/p][p][b]"In that moment, fear clouded my judgement and I just couldn't process the situation rationally,"[/b] Vondrousova said.[/p][p][b]"After what happened to Petra, we don't take strangers at our door lightly."[/b][/p][p]Last month, an independent tribunal ruled she had provided "no compelling justification" for refusing a test, noting she had taken her dog for a walk 10 minutes later.[/p][p][b]"This is a very unfortunate manner in which the player made a decision in the heat of the moment to refuse doping control, in a state of stress and anxiety, with significant consequences,"[/b] the tribunal said.[/p][h2]'Harsh' punishment[/h2][p]American world number three [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Jessica Pegula[/a] called the suspension "harsh", comparing it to the far lighter punishments handed out to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a].[/p][p][b]"I just don't think that's fair. I think the sentencing is so harsh,"[/b] Pegula said at Wimbledon in June.[/p][p]Sinner accepted a three-month ban last year after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2024.[/p][p]The Italian men's world number one had tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol, before being cleared by an independent tribunal who determined he was not to blame.[/p][p]Six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek took a one-month ban in 2024 after testing positive for a banned substance.[/p][p][b]"So I don't quite understand the difference between that and then obviously what happened with Sinner and Iga. They justified what the rules were and why it was the way it was,"[/b] Pegula said.[/p][p]Vondrousova has a career high ranking of sixth, two months after her Wimbledon triumph three years ago.[/p][p]She also reached the 2019 French Open final and won a singles silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.[/p]