Tennis news: Iga Swiatek accepts suspension in doping case
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek Accepts One-Month Suspension for Positive Drug Test
Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, also known as TMZ, a heart medication. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced this decision on Thursday.
Swiatek’s positive drug test occurred during an out-of-competition test in August. She explained that the result was unintentional and was caused by the contamination of a nonprescription medication, melatonin, which she was taking to address issues with jet lag and sleeping.
The ITIA determined that Swiatek’s level of fault was at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence.
This incident marks the second recent high-profile doping case in tennis. Earlier this year, the top-ranked male player, Jannik Sinner, failed two tests for a steroid in March but was cleared in August, just before winning the U.S. Open.
Swiatek, a 23-year-old from Poland, held the No. 1 ranking for most of the past two seasons but currently sits at No. 2. She claimed her fifth major championship by winning the French Open in June and also earned a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August.
TMZ was also the center of a doping case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for performance enhancers in 2021 but remained eligible to compete.
Swiatek formally admitted to the anti-doping rule violation on Wednesday and accepted her one-month suspension as a penalty.
She was provisionally suspended from September 22 to October 4, missing three tournaments during the post-U.S. Open hard-court swing in Asia. However, her appeal revealed that her positive test was due to contaminated melatonin, leading to the end of her provisional ban.
As per the agreement, Swiatek will serve the remaining eight days of her suspension while there are no competitions, allowing her to return to play on December 4. Additionally, she was fined the prize money of $158,944 that she earned for her semifinal run at the Cincinnati Open in August.
ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse emphasized the importance of understanding the strict liability nature of the World Anti-Doping Code and the need for players to carefully consider the use of supplements and medications, given this unusual case of contaminated medication.
