At the United Cup, Iga Swiatek has spoken about her recent one-month suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in August. The World No. 2 tennis player addressed the media, stating she does not expect the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal the decision.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted Swiatek’s explanation that the positive result was due to a contaminated dose of melatonin. With the case resolved, she is now focused on leading Poland in Group B against the Czech Republic and Norway at the season-opening mixed team event in Sydney.
“I’m not expecting an appeal, but I have, kind of, no influence on what’s going to happen,” Swiatek said. “I can say from the process that I went through, and how they treated me from the beginning, that it seemed, you know, fair for me. I managed to give the source pretty quickly.”
“That’s why the case closed, you know, pretty quickly, but still I didn’t play tournaments, and I kind of, I got a fine, small one, symbolic one, but it’s over now,” she continued. “So I guess, in my opinion, it was a fair process, and I trust ITIA that any case they do, they’re going to treat every player the same way and fairly.”
As Swiatek prepares to return to competitive play, she aims to lead her team successfully in the United Cup. Her participation is highly anticipated by fans and marks an important step in her return to the sport.
Swiatek’s openness about the doping case and her readiness to move forward reflect her commitment to integrity in tennis. The upcoming matches in Sydney offer an opportunity for her to focus on the game and demonstrate her skills on the court.
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Swiatek discusses doping ban ahead of Poland's United Cup campaign
cgtn.com
