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Ajla Tomljanovic has described nan lengthy doping prohibition administered to Marketa Vondrousova, nan 2023 Wimbledon singles champion, arsenic a ugliness and she has accused nan tennis anti-doping authorities of being retired to get players moreover erstwhile they person done thing wrong.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced connected Monday that Vondrousova had been handed a four-year suspension by an independent tribunal aft nan Czech subordinate had refused to supply a sample to a doping power serviceman astatine her location past December astatine astir 8pm.
“I wouldn’t beryllium comfortable if I’m surviving unsocial and personification comes astatine 8 aliases whenever,” Tomljanovic said. “Overall, I tin count connected 1 manus bully experiences pinch these people. I deliberation they’re ever retired to get you. They’re not very nice.
“It’s benignant of a ugliness what’s happened to Marketa. It’s really sad that we’re portion of a athletics wherever I deliberation that if you’re ... for illustration nan curen isn’t equal. Equality is what we strive for. It’s conscionable insane.
“I dream she appeals. I dream it gets better, but it’s ne'er bully erstwhile nan first ruling is simply a four-year ban. I conscionable deliberation that nan full ITIA, they’re truthful cocky. They’re almost retired to get you moreover if you are doing thing wrong.”
Tomljanovic, a seasoned Australian tennis subordinate who doubly reached nan quarter-finals of Wimbledon and famously ended Serena Williams’s first career successful 2022, learned of Vondrousova’s verdict aft winning her first lucifer successful Eastbourne connected Monday. “I saw that aft my lucifer and I was conscionable truthful angry. She doesn’t merit that. And it’s ne'er really going to alteration because these group ... I’ve spoken to a feline that’s successful a position of powerfulness – you tin spot that he conscionable hates almost ... He conscionable wants to get anyone for anything. It’s awful.”
According to nan ITIA, aft being reached astatine her location by a doping power serviceman astatine astir 8pm past December, Vondrousova signed a merchandise shape to signify that she was refusing to supply a sample to nan female doping power serviceman and she was truthful alert that this determination would person consequences. Vondrousova, who had initially said that she had been frightened by nan beingness of a alien extracurricular her home, signed nan shape extracurricular her location and past took her canine for a walk. “It was very clear that nan subordinate did not wish to prosecute pinch nan process,” said Nicole Sapstead, nan ITIA’s elder head of anti-doping.
During nan tribunal, Vondrousova said she had been suffering from acute accent guidance and generalised worry disorder, which impaired her determination making. The independent tribunal recovered “no compelling justification” for her to person refused a test.
Vondrousova has received support from immoderate of her chap players since nan verdict was announced. Fran Jones said: “I person a batch of empathy for Marketa. I deliberation a four-year prohibition is utmost for personification that’s ne'er had a antagonistic test. And I really consciousness for nan girl. She’s a really bully person. I conscionable person goosebumps saying it. I can’t ideate really she feels today.”
However, location person been differing opinions connected her case. In an question and reply pinch nan Guardian successful April, earlier nan lawsuit had been heard, nan erstwhile world No 1 Karolina Pliskova seemed unconvinced by her compatriot’s arguments. Pliskova said: “I’ve been connected circuit for possibly 15-20 years, truthful I deliberation everybody experiences this benignant of business wherever they conscionable sound connected your door, but we each cognize nan rules, truthful …
“For me, this is rather clear. Maybe for personification [else] not. I cognize she’s possibly a spot younger, possibly she wasn’t successful nan mood. I don’t want to opportunity excessively overmuch because I already said it successful [my] podcast and it didn’t spell [down] well. But for me, this would ne'er beryllium an action not to springiness nan test.”
In a statement, an ITIA spokesperson said: “This lawsuit – unfortunate arsenic it is for nan individual – should make it clear that players tin and will beryllium tested extracurricular of their allocated hour. Everyone wants a cleanable athletics and to execute this we request to person a beardown testing programme which must beryllium unpredictable.
“We cognize this tin beryllium challenging for players. Having personification successful your location aliases edifice room to watch you pee is stressful. We judge astir of our testers woody pinch this successful a respectful way, but they excessively person a challenging and not ever pleasant job. We would promote immoderate subordinate who has questions astir nan process, aliases issues pinch a tester to talk to us. We will ever perceive to immoderate concerns aliases feedback.”
