Former Wimbledon women's champion Marketa Vondrousova has been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for refusing an out-of-competition anti-doping test in December.
Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has been banned for four years after missing a doping test, leading the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to demand a greater say for athletes in anti-doping regulations. Vondrousova cited safety concerns for not opening her door to a doping control officer late at night, while the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) maintains that unpredictable testing is crucial for clean sport.
The sanctions are linked to a criminal case heard in 2023 involving a match-fixing syndicate in Belgium over which Bulgarian official Stefan Milanov and French player Leny Mitjana were suspended earlier this year.
Iga Swiatek tested positive in an out-of-competition sample in August but the ITIA accepted that it was caused by contamination of her medication melatonin.
Yannick Thivant, Thomas Brechemier, Gabriel Petit, Thomas Setodji and Hugo Daubias are the players sanctioned, with the punishments linked to a criminal case heard in 2023 involving a match-fixing group in Belgium, the ITIA said.
Tennis Australia said the ITIA confirmed the breach related to the use of a prohibited method rather than the presence of a prohibited substance.
Jannik Sinner beat defending champion and Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Wimbledon title.
World men's number one Jannik Sinner has been cleared of fault or negligence by an independent tribunal after failing two drug tests in March, the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) said on Tuesday.
Simona Halep questioned the "big difference" in how doping cases are treated after world number two Iga Swiatek was handed a one-month drugs ban
Factbox on Italy's Jannik Sinner, who beat Germany's Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the Australian Open final
Former Wimbledon and French Open champion Simona Halep had her four-year doping ban cut to nine months.
"Simona Halep, a 31-year-old Romanian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended under Article 7.12.1 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP)," the body said in a statement.
'I guess only the top players' images matter. I guess only the independent tribunal's opinion on the top players is taken as sound and right.'
Simona Halep is unsure if she will play again if the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) does not uphold her appeal against a four-year doping suspension, the Romanian former world number one has said.
Jannik Sinner overpowered American Taylor Fritz in the final to become the first Italian man to win the US Open singles title.
The hearings at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are expected to run until Friday. The court said it was unclear when a ruling might be rendered.
