Iga Swiatek Reflects on Doping Ban, Faces No Appeal Threat

Iga Swiatek, who served a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in August, expressed concerns about a potential hostile reaction to her doping ban but stated that she does not expect the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal the decision. The five-time Grand Slam champion, 23 was the world number one at the time of the test. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) concluded that the positive test was due to contamination from non-prescription melatonin which Swiatek used for jet lag and sleep issues.

Swiatek’s suspension ended on 4 December and she acknowledged the impact of the ban, which caused her to lose the world number one ranking. She emphasized that she provided all necessary evidence and does not believe WADA will appeal her case, unlike Jannik Sinner, who faced a potential suspension after failing two tests in March for a different substance.

Reflecting on her suspension and its public reaction, Swiatek shared that she initially feared the worst but found that most people especially in Poland were supportive. While she expected some negative comments, Swiatek expressed appreciation for the understanding from her fans and the tennis community. Swiatek missed three tournaments during her suspension: the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open, and forfeited her prize money from the Cincinnati Open.

Despite the setback, she remains optimistic about her career as she heads into the 2024 season, beginning with the United Cup in Australia. Looking ahead to the Australian Open starting on 12 January, Iga Swiatek will be among the top contenders. While Sinner claimed the men’s title in January 2024, Swiatek has yet to reach the final in Melbourne having been eliminated in the third round by Linda Noskova the previous year.