Guiff and Tomljanović Antidoping Violations After Her Ban Is Up

• Gauff and Tomljanović described problems with the timing of their anti-doping violations after a ban was lifted.
• Tribunal said that the WTA’s anti-doping violations were not the same as the circumstances that led to the ban being lifted.
• Pegula and the other players will have to prove that their sanctions were not caused by a violation of the anti-doping rules.

LONDON (AP) — Coco Gauff said she believes that during the time she was banned, she did not commit an anti-doping violation, and that her words were taken out of context. “I don’t know why they decided to do this,” she said. She also said she was not aware of any wrongdoing.

In the meantime, the court has ruled that the ban should be upheld. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said: “If the anti-doping violation is confirmed, the ban will be lifted.”

Before the match, former tennis player Adzla Tomljanović said she had never seen a system like this. “I want to be clear: I did not do anything wrong,” she said.

Serena Williams, who was watching the match, said she felt the system was unfair. Williams said she understood why Gauff was upset, and that the situation was “very difficult.”

Gauff’s and Tomljanović’s Case

27-year-old Marketa Vondrousova, who was serving a ban for an anti-doping violation, was suspended for a year after testing positive for a banned substance at the end of 2023, according to the ITIA. The ban was lifted after she appealed. In 2025, Vondrousova returned to competition after being cleared by an independent tribunal.

She said she was not aware of any violation, and that her team had been told the substance was not prohibited. ITIA said that the decision to lift the ban was based on “a lack of evidence” and that the case did not involve intentional cheating.

In a statement, ITIA said it had published a video explaining the decision. The statement said that Vondrousova was found to have violated the anti-doping rules because she tested positive for a prohibited substance, and that the ban was lifted after the tribunal concluded that the positive test resulted from “contamination.”

According to ITIA, the tribunal overturned the ban on the basis that the athlete’s explanation was credible. The agency said that the athlete’s results were not affected by the substance, and that the tribunal concluded the violation was not intentional.

Part of the Gravity That Comes With It

Jessica Pegula, who is currently serving a ban, said she was shocked by the decision. Pegula said she did not understand why the tribunal made the ruling, and that she believed the process was flawed.

Pegula also said she had been informed about the situation and that she would continue to cooperate with the authorities. She said she was confident that the case would be resolved fairly.

Also, materials show that in 2024, the ITIA found a violation related to an athlete’s whereabouts filing. ITIA said it was determined that the athlete did not intentionally provide false information, and that the decision was based on the athlete’s explanation.

Tags: Research/Sport/Tennis