Marketa Vondrousova's lawyer attempts to persuade her to battle back against staggering ban: "I think she should appeal, that she should fight"

Marketa Vondrousova has been recommended by her lawyer that she should appeal the contentious four-year ban she was handed following a missed drugs test.

The former Wimbledon champion failed to open her door for an anti-doping officer in December 2025. They must provide a one-hour time span for each day for officers to approach them and collect a sample as part of the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency). This, consequently, was out of hours.

Scared and citing mental health reasons, Vondrousova did not respond. She would he provisionally suspended as the subject was investigated, leaving a period of torment and stress for the Czech who had already been through so much.

Injuries were playing havoc with her tennis career with her also releasing a statement on Instagram about her mental health getting worse over time while she was suspended.

In the end, a four year ban was implemented on her. This has since been met with a variety of criticism from tennis fans and even players commenting underneath her most recent statement with messages of support.

This situation is far from over. Vondrousova's next steps have not been highlighted yet, but her lawyer, Jan Exner, believes that appealing could be the best option. "This decision will ultimately be Marketa's, of course, but from the beginning I've been advising her that I think she should appeal, that she should fight, because in my view it shouldn't end with this kind of career‑destroying sanction," he told AFP.

Four years is a very long time in any sport, virtually destroying their career. Especially in a sport such as tennis where you are at your peak for a limited number of years compared to others, Vondrousova will be 30 before being able to compete once more.

The harsh reality is that her tennis career could be all-but over even if she chooses not to go down that route. This could be a motive for Vondrousova to fight this case and try and limit, if not completely abolish, the ban placed on her.

"When you get four years for doping, it's an idea that pretty much has to cross your mind, because it's basically a career‑ending punishment," Exner continued. "Yeah, and the statistics are such that the vast majority of athletes never come back from this kind of ban. So it basically amounts to a lifetime ban. But of course I hope it won't turn out that way and that Marketa will keep fighting."

For Vondrousova, this is the last thing she needed. With her mental health on the decline, another stress factor to put on top of that leaves her in a fragile spot.

Her decision whether to fight this case of accept her reality and focus on a new outlook in life could be pivotal. It will not be easy to step away from tennis. The sport has always been in her life, working hard to become a professional before stepping up to the elite and competing with the best in the world.

Her Wimbledon title was a hugely unlikely but significant one, launching herself into the mainstream and the upper echelons of tennis. This was not a standalone feat. Previously reaching the final of the 2019 French Open where she would convincingly lose to Ashleigh Barty, Vondrousova was always an extremely talented tennis player who had a high ceiling.

This time last year, she won the Berlin Ladies Open, once more overcoming the injury troubles to prove how good she was. A quarter-final run at the US Open was cruelly cut short by more injury woes. This has summed up her recent career, sidelined on a regular basis not being able to kick on further up the order.

Since then, she has competed in four tournaments, winning just one match at the start of the year at the Adelaide International before pulling out of her next contest and handing her opponent a walkover. She has not stepped onto the court since.

Time will tell what the fate is for Vondrousova, but it is certain that she will not be competing on the WTA Tour for a lengthy period of time.