Former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova opened up about her mental health battles on Friday, revealing she suffered an Acute Stress Reaction during a doping control incident.

Vondrousova, who won the Wimbledon title in 2023, said the December incident occurred because she had "reached a breaking point after months of physical and mental stress."

In December, Vondrousova described a "serious intrusion into my privacy" from a doping control officer who arrived at 8:15 p.m. demanding an immediate test.

"It is very tough for me to talk about this, but I want to be transparent with you about my mental health," 26-year-old Vondrousova wrote on Instagram.

"For a long time, I've been dealing with injury, constant pressure and ongoing sleep issues that left me feeling exhausted and fragile. It slowly wore me down more than I probably realised at the time.

"Years of hateful messages and threats have affected how safe I feel in my own space. When someone rang my door late at night without properly identifying themselves or following protocol — I reacted as a person who felt scared.

"In that moment, it was about feeling safe, not about avoiding anything."

Vondrousova has not played a tournament since the Adelaide International in January and withdrew from the Australian Open citing a shoulder injury. However, she is on the entry list for the April 21-May 3 Madrid Open.

The 26-year-old revealed that experts confirmed she suffered an Acute Stress Reaction and Generalised Anxiety Disorder, adding: "In that moment, fear clouded my judgment and I just couldn't process the situation rationally."

Vondrousova referred to twice Wimbledon champion and compatriot Petra Kvitova who suffered severe wounds to her playing left hand in a struggle with a knife-wielding intruder at home.

"After what happened to Petra, we don't take strangers at our door lightly," Vondrousova added.

"I'm trying to slowly find my way back — both on and off the court ... I'm still working to clear my name, but at the same time I need to take care of myself."

Reuters has contacted the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for comment.

-Rohith Nair/Reuters