A new doping shook the tennis world. Iga Swiateknumber two in the world and winner of five Grand Slams, revealed that received a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine in a control carried out out of competition last August. The Polish woman, who at that time led the ranking, proved that he ingested the substance by mistakeby taking a medication that is legal in your country but was contaminated, so the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined that his fault was “at the lowest end of the range” and applied a 30-day sanction, which will end on December 4.
It is the second high-profile positive of the tennis season that is ending. Jannik Sinnernumber one in the ranking ATPalso tested positive for clostebol in two checks in March. Unlike the Polish woman, after proving that the substance reached her body due to carelessness, the Italian did not have to serve a suspension, although the World Anti-Doping Agency He appealed his acquittal in September, an instance that is still under review.
“I have fought the hardest battle of my life”Swiatek commented in a video he shared on his networks, in which he finally told everything he experienced. “Finding out about the positive result was a huge blow for me, I was in shock and this whole situation generated a lot of anxiety in me. At first I couldn’t understand how everything could be possible or where it came from.. Apparently, the test revealed very low levels of TMZ, a substance that I had never heard of in my life and did not even know existed, with which I have never had contact, neither I nor the people around me. So I had a great feeling of injustice,” he added.
According to the statement from the HATESwiatek failed the test they gave him on August 12, just before the WTA 1000 of Cincinnatiin which he reached the semifinals. The player received notification of her violation on September 12, had to return the prize money she had won in that American competition ($158,944) and from that day on she began serving a one-month provisional suspension. The former number 1 appealed the punishment within ten days after being notified, so the case was not publicly disclosed, and began working on her defense with her team..
“The first few weeks were chaotic. We reacted immediately and acted according to what the ITIA was telling us. The concentration detected was extremely low and suggested (or rather made it clear) that either the sample was contaminated or a supplement or medication that I was taking was contaminated. That’s why we focused on studying all the foods and all the medicines I took,” explained Swiatek, Olympic bronze medalist in singles at Paris 2024.
Finally, The Polish woman discovered that the culprit had been melatonin, an over-the-counter medication in her country which he uses regularly to treat jet lag and sleep problems he suffers while traveling. “The batch that I had on me and had used before the Cincinnati tournament had been contaminated during its manufacturing”he explained.
And after making his defense, the ITIA accepted his explanation and agreed to lift the provisional suspension on October 4, while the investigation continued.
During that 22-day inactivity – which from those around them, they said, responded to “personal reasons” – Swiatek missed three important tournaments, the 500th Seoul and the 1000 of Beijingwhere he defended the title, and Wuhan. In total he could not revalidate 1,100 units (counting another 100 that he had won in those weeks last year in Tokyo). Then, he also decided to get off the 500 Ningbo and the Japanese capital, at the end of October. And with no chance of boosting his ranking, he ended up giving up number one in the hands of Aryna Sabalenka.
Following her appeal, Swiatek – this year’s winner in Doha, Indian Wells, Madrid, Roma y Roland Garros– was able to play again. He disputed the WTA Finals in Riyadh, in which he could not overcome the round robin, and the Finals Copa Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga, where Poland He reached the semis and lost with Italiathen champion. And after accepting her negligence and the one-month suspension on Wednesday, she will finish serving the remaining eight days and will be eligible to return to compete after December 4.
“Once the source of TMZ was established, it became clear that this was a very unusual case of a contaminated product, which in Poland is a regulated medicine. However, the product does not have the same designation globally and the fact The fact that it is a regulated medicine in a country cannot be sufficient in itself to avoid any level of blame,” he explained. Karen Moorhousedirector of the ITIA.
He concluded: “Taking into account the nature of the medication and all the circumstances, it does place that fault at the lower end of the scale. This case is an important reminder to tennis players about the strict liability nature of the World Anti-Doping Code and the importance for players to carefully consider the use of supplements and medications.
In a statement, the WTA recognized the determination of the ITIA and, at the same time, supported Swiatek, “who has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and upholding the principles of clean sport.”
“This unfortunate incident highlights the challenges that athletes face in the use of medications and supplements,” highlighted the association that governs the women’s circuit. And he called on his players to “take every precaution to verify the safety and compliance of all the products they use, as even involuntary exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”
Swiatek, for his part, assured: “The most important thing for me was to prove my innocence. Now that everything is coming to an end, they have imposed a symbolic one-month suspension on me. I have already served 22 days, I have eight more left. That It means that I can start the 2025 season clean and I will focus on what I have always done, simply playing tennis. This experience is the most difficult of my life, but it has taught me a lot to return to play and compete in the WTA Finals. BJK gave me a lot of positive emotions and it allowed me to enjoy my game again.
“The worst part of this was the uncertainty, I didn’t know what would happen to my career,” Swiatek said. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez“All of this will stay with me for the rest of my life, it took a lot of strength to train again after this situation that almost broke my heart. There were many tears and many sleepless nights. The worst part of this was the uncertainty, “I didn’t know what would happen to my career, I didn’t know how the situation would end or if I wouldn’t be able to continue playing tennis. That’s why I am very grateful to my family and my team, to everyone who stayed by my side no matter what had happened.” , the player reflected.
And he closed: “I admit that this situation hit me hard because all my life I strived to have a career that could be an example for future generations. A career that was fair, that showed that I have always been that way, that demonstrated all the values that should be had. the athletes. I have a feeling this situation may hurt the image I’ve been building for years. So I hope you understand what happened, that I had no control over this and there was nothing I could do to prevent this unfortunate event. “I hope you continue to support me, because I’m not sure that without my fans I can find the strength to move forward and keep fighting.”
Swiatek and the Sinner case
The Swiatek case once again put on everyone’s lips the Jannik Sinnerwho in March tested positive in two tests for clostebol, an anabolic steroid that is on the list of prohibited drugs. After proving that the substance had entered his body due to carelessness on the part of his physiotherapist, who had used an over-the-counter spray to treat a cut on his finger and then had contaminated the tennis player by giving him massages, he was acquitted in August, just before the start of US Openin which he won his second Grand Slam of the year and of his career.
Sinner was acquitted by the ITIA, but his case has not yet been closed. The only punishment Sinner received was the loss of the points and prizes he won in Indian Wellsthe tournament in which the sample that showed the first positive was taken, on March 10, and in which they reached the semifinals.
After the Pole revealed what she experienced and the ITIA published its statement on the matter, social networks were filled with messages from tennis fans who once again pointed out the disparity in the treatment that these types of cases usually receive. The question many raised was why was Swiatek suspended and Sinner not?
According to the experts, the main difference between the two positive cases is that the Polish woman admitted to having taken melatonin, without knowing that it was contaminated, and accepted her negligence and, eventually, the sanction.
The Italian, on the other hand, demonstrated that his positive result was due to transdermal contamination that was the responsibility of a member of his team – not his – and appealed the provisional sanction of the ITIA, which decided to acquit him.
The situation of the person born in San Candido could also change if the Court of Arbitration for Sports (TAS) gives rise to the appeal of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to review the ITIA decision and apply a suspension of between one and two years.
The resolution of the Sinner case was for many unfair and from fans to other players openly claimed that there were other tennis players in the past who were suspended for similar situations and that the Italian, perhaps because of his status as number 1, received preferential treatment. And the news of Swiatek’s positive result, who did receive a punishment (albeit minimal), only fueled the controversy in the tournament over doping by the ATP leader.