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"When a player refuses a test must be the same as if they had tested positive.
This is to ensure that anyone who is doping cannot serve a shorter ban simply by refusing to be tested," the agency said.
Pegula compared Vondrousova's penalty to the lighter outcomes seen in high-profile cases involving other top athletes like Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.
"So I don't quite understand the difference between, yeah, that and then obviously what happened with Sinner and Iga.
They justified what the rules were and why it was the way it was," Pegula said.
She acknowledged that refusing a test warrants consequences but maintained that a four-year ban remains overly severe.
"It just doesn't really make sense to me. I don't think it makes sense to a person that's just looking at it common sense-wise.
I understand there should be some sort of punishment, because I know she's refused to take a test, and that's not good either.
I just feel like there could be something that could be done to not just, like, ruin someone's career like that," Pegula said.
In other action on Day 1, 18-year-old American Iva Jovic also moved into the second round by defeating Jaqueline Cristian 7-6 (1), 6-0.
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Pegula will next face Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo.
