Swiatek, world number 2 tennis player, accepts one-month suspension for doping

PARIS – World number two Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday.

Swiatek, 23, tested positive for the heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024, when the Polish player was ranked world number one.

The ITIA, however, admitted that this was due to “contamination of a regulated non-prescription medicine (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland, which the player was taking for jet lag and sleep problems.”

“The violation was therefore not intentional… the player’s level of fault was considered to be at the lower end of the ‘absence of significant fault or negligence’ range,” the ITIA said .

Reigning French Open champion Swiatek, who has five Grand Slam singles titles – four at Roland Garros and the 2022 US Open – has accepted the suspension.

“I finally have the right… so I immediately want to share with you something that has become the worst experience of my life,” an emotional Swiatek said in a social media post.

“Over the past two and a half months I have been subjected to a strict ITIA process, which has confirmed my innocence.

“The only positive drug test of my career, showing an incredibly low level of a banned substance I had never heard of before, called into question everything I have worked so hard for my entire life.

“My team and I had to deal with enormous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained and, with a clean slate, I can get back to what I love most.”

Swiatek was provisionally suspended from September 22 to October 4, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving eight days remaining.

She will also lose prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test, where she lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

“I know I will be stronger than ever,” Swiatek continued. “For now, I’m just relieved it’s over.

“I want to be open with you, even though I know I did nothing wrong. Out of respect for my fans and the public, I am sharing all the details of this longest and most difficult tournament of my career. My greatest hope is that you will stay with me.

WADA has the “right to appeal”

In a case similar to that of men’s world number one Jannik Sinner, Swiatek nevertheless remains under threat of an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

“WADA will carefully review this decision and reserves the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, if appropriate,” a spokesperson told AFP.

Italian Sinner is still awaiting the outcome of WADA’s appeal against his first exoneration for testing positive twice for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.

On Thursday, the ITIA said Swiatek’s positive test was not initially made public “in accordance with its regulations”, as it appealed its provisional suspension within the deadline and had it lifted.

“Once the source of TMZ was established, it became clear that this was a very unusual case of a contaminated product, which is a regulated medicine in Poland,” said Karen Moorhouse, CEO of ITIA.

“This case is an important reminder to tennis players of the strict liability nature of the World Anti-Doping Code and the importance of players carefully considering the use of supplements and medications.”

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said it “fully supports Iga during this difficult time.”

“Iga has always demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and respect for the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in the use of medications and supplements,” said the WTA in a press release.

“The WTA remains steadfast in its support of clean sport and the rigorous processes that protect the integrity of competition.

“We also emphasize that athletes must take all necessary precautions to verify the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”

AFP