Swiatek accepts one-month suspension after failing doping test

World number two and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Thursday.

Swiatek tested positive in an out-of-competition sample in August, but the ITIA, which runs tennis’ anti-doping programme, acknowledged this was due to contamination of the drug melatonin, which is produced and sold in his home country of Poland.

Swiatek said he received the suspension due to jet lag and sleep problems, and since there was no significant fault or negligence, ITIA ruled that this was the “low end of the line” and offered a one-month ban to the reigning French Open champion. 23 years old accepted

“The player was provisionally suspended from September 12 to October 4, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, with eight days remaining,” ITIA said in a statement. He also lost the prize money from the Cincinnati Open. Tournament immediately after the test.

Swiatek, who withdrew from tournaments in Asia in September due to personal problems and fatigue, described testing positive as “the worst experience of my life.”

She was world number one when she failed the test, and Aryna Sabalenka, who skipped the Asian swing, leapfrogged her in the world rankings and eventually ended the year as number one.

“Over the last 2.5 months, I have been subjected to stringent ITIA procedures confirming my innocence,” Swiatek said on Instagram. “The only positive doping test of my career, showing incredibly low levels of a banned substance I had never heard of before, brought into question everything I had worked so hard for my whole life.

“Both I and my team have had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained and I can return to what I love most with a clean slate.” The provisional suspension was lifted after Swiatek, whose anti-doping violation was not publicly disclosed at that time, submitted melatonin product samples to the WADA-accredited SMRTL laboratory in Salt Lake City and confirmed that a low dose of TMZ was detected in both open and closed tests. containers of the product.

The temporary restraining order was lifted on 4 October and the case was sent to the Independent Tribunal.

Swiatek is not the first world number one to fail a doping test this year after top-ranked Italian Jannik Sinner also tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol.

However, Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent court ahead of the US Open, which he went on to win. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the court’s decision that there was “no fault or negligence”.

With two of tennis’ biggest names dodging lengthy bans for anti-doping violations, questions are being raised about the sport’s reputation.

ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse told the press on Thursday: “These are not intentional doping cases. We are dealing with unintentional breaches of the rules.”

“So I don’t think that’s a cause for concern for tennis fans. I think the fact that we’re open and transparent shows the breadth and depth of our anti-doping program.” Swiatek played in Cincinnati, where he placed first and advanced to the semifinals. The WTA said Sabalenka won approximately $159,000 in prize money in the tournament.

Swiatek then took part in the US Open, where she was eliminated in the quarter-finals and failed to advance out of the group stage before the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

He also represented Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup, where they lost to champions Italy in the semi-finals.

The women’s tour (WTA) said they accepted the ITIA’s decision and “fully supported” Swiatek.

“Iga has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to upholding the principles of fair play and clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges faced by athletes in the use of medications and supplements,” the WTA said.

Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva also tested positive for TMZ, and the result was revealed during the 2022 Winter Olympics. He was disqualified from team competition at the Beijing Games and received a four-year doping ban.