Ajla Tomljanovic has described the lengthy doping ban administered to Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon singles champion, as a disgrace and has accused the Âtennis anti-doping authorities of being out to get players even when they have done nothing wrong.
The International Tennis ÂIntegrity Agency announced on Monday that Vondrousova had been handed a fourâyear suspension by an independent tribunal after the Czech player had refused to provide a sample to a doping control officer at her home last December at around 8pm.
âI wouldnât be comfortable if Iâm living alone and someone comes at 8 or whenever,â Tomljanovic said. âOverall, I can count on one hand good experiences with these people. I think theyâre always out to get you. Theyâre not very nice.
âItâs kind of a disgrace whatâs happened to Marketa. Itâs really sad that weâre part of a sport where I think that if youâre ⊠like the treatment isnât equal. Equality is what we strive for. Itâs just insane.
âI hope she appeals. I hope it gets better, but itâs never good when the first ruling is a fourâyear ban. I just think that the whole ITIA, theyâre so cocky. Theyâre almost out to get you even if you are doing nothing wrong.â
Tomljanovic, a veteran ÂAustralian player who twice reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals and famously ended Serena Williamsâs first career in 2022, learned of ÂVondrousovaâs verdict after winning her first match in ÂEastbourne on Monday.
âI saw that after my match and I was just so angry. She doesnât deserve that. And itâs never really going to change because these people ⊠Iâve spoken to a guy thatâs in a position of power â you can see that he just hates almost ⊠He just wants to get anyone for anything. Itâs awful.â
According to the ITIA, after being reached at her home by a doping control officer at around 8pm last December, Vondrousova signed a release form to signify that she was Ârefusing to provide a sample to the female Âdoping control officer and she was therefore aware that this decision would have consequences. Vondrousova, who had said initially that she had been scared by the presence of a stranger outside her home, signed the form outside her home and then took her dog for a walk. âIt was very clear that the player did not wish to engage with the process,â said Nicole Sapstead, the ITIAâs senior director of anti-doping.
During the tribunal, Vondrousova said she had been suffering from acute stress reaction and generalised anxiety disorder, which impaired her decision-making. The independent tribunal found âno compelling justificationâ for her to have refused a test.
Vondrousova has received support from some of her fellow players since the verdict was announced. Fran Jones said: âI have a lot of empathy for Marketa. I think a four-year ban is extreme for someone thatâs never had a negative test. And I really feel for the girl. Sheâs a really good person. I just have goosebumps saying it. I canât imagine how she feels today.â
However, there have been difÂfering opinions on her case. In an interview with the Guardian in April, before the case had been heard, the former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova seemed unconvinced by her compatriotâs arguments. Pliskova said: âIâve been on tour for maybe 15-20 years, so I think everybody experiences this kind of situation where they just knock on your door, but we all know the rules, so âŠ
âFor me, this is quite clear. Maybe for somebody [else] not. I know sheâs maybe a bit younger, maybe she wasnât in the mood. I donât want to say too much because I already said it in [my] podcast and it didnât go [down] well. But for me, this would never be an option not to give the test.â
In a statement, an ITIA spokesperson said: âThis case â unfortunate as it is for the individual â should make it clear that players can and will be tested outside of their allocated hour. Everyone wants a clean sport and to achieve this we need to have a strong testing programme which must be unpredictable.
âWe know this can be challenging for players. Having someone in your home or hotel room to watch you pee is stressful. We believe most of our testers deal with this in a respectful way, but they too have a chalÂlenging and not always pleasant job.
âWe would encourage any player who has questions about the process, or issues with a tester to talk to us. We will always listen to any concerns or feedback.â
The International Tennis ÂIntegrity Agency announced on Monday that Vondrousova had been handed a fourâyear suspension by an independent tribunal after the Czech player had refused to provide a sample to a doping control officer at her home last December at around 8pm.
âI wouldnât be comfortable if Iâm living alone and someone comes at 8 or whenever,â Tomljanovic said. âOverall, I can count on one hand good experiences with these people. I think theyâre always out to get you. Theyâre not very nice.
âItâs kind of a disgrace whatâs happened to Marketa. Itâs really sad that weâre part of a sport where I think that if youâre ⊠like the treatment isnât equal. Equality is what we strive for. Itâs just insane.
âI hope she appeals. I hope it gets better, but itâs never good when the first ruling is a fourâyear ban. I just think that the whole ITIA, theyâre so cocky. Theyâre almost out to get you even if you are doing nothing wrong.â
Tomljanovic, a veteran ÂAustralian player who twice reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals and famously ended Serena Williamsâs first career in 2022, learned of ÂVondrousovaâs verdict after winning her first match in ÂEastbourne on Monday.
âI saw that after my match and I was just so angry. She doesnât deserve that. And itâs never really going to change because these people ⊠Iâve spoken to a guy thatâs in a position of power â you can see that he just hates almost ⊠He just wants to get anyone for anything. Itâs awful.â
According to the ITIA, after being reached at her home by a doping control officer at around 8pm last December, Vondrousova signed a release form to signify that she was Ârefusing to provide a sample to the female Âdoping control officer and she was therefore aware that this decision would have consequences. Vondrousova, who had said initially that she had been scared by the presence of a stranger outside her home, signed the form outside her home and then took her dog for a walk. âIt was very clear that the player did not wish to engage with the process,â said Nicole Sapstead, the ITIAâs senior director of anti-doping.
During the tribunal, Vondrousova said she had been suffering from acute stress reaction and generalised anxiety disorder, which impaired her decision-making. The independent tribunal found âno compelling justificationâ for her to have refused a test.
Vondrousova has received support from some of her fellow players since the verdict was announced. Fran Jones said: âI have a lot of empathy for Marketa. I think a four-year ban is extreme for someone thatâs never had a negative test. And I really feel for the girl. Sheâs a really good person. I just have goosebumps saying it. I canât imagine how she feels today.â
However, there have been difÂfering opinions on her case. In an interview with the Guardian in April, before the case had been heard, the former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova seemed unconvinced by her compatriotâs arguments. Pliskova said: âIâve been on tour for maybe 15-20 years, so I think everybody experiences this kind of situation where they just knock on your door, but we all know the rules, so âŠ
âFor me, this is quite clear. Maybe for somebody [else] not. I know sheâs maybe a bit younger, maybe she wasnât in the mood. I donât want to say too much because I already said it in [my] podcast and it didnât go [down] well. But for me, this would never be an option not to give the test.â
In a statement, an ITIA spokesperson said: âThis case â unfortunate as it is for the individual â should make it clear that players can and will be tested outside of their allocated hour. Everyone wants a clean sport and to achieve this we need to have a strong testing programme which must be unpredictable.
âWe know this can be challenging for players. Having someone in your home or hotel room to watch you pee is stressful. We believe most of our testers deal with this in a respectful way, but they too have a chalÂlenging and not always pleasant job.
âWe would encourage any player who has questions about the process, or issues with a tester to talk to us. We will always listen to any concerns or feedback.â
