Iga Swiatek, the World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Polish star tested positive in an out-of-competition sample taken in August. The ITIA, which oversees tennis’s anti-doping program, determined that the positive result was due to contamination of her melatonin medication, which is manufactured and sold over the counter in Poland.
Swiatek explained that she had been using melatonin to address jet lag and sleep issues. As there was no significant fault or negligence on her part, the ITIA ruled that the violation was at “the lowest end of the range” and offered her a one-month suspension, which she accepted.
“The player was provisionally suspended from September 12 until October 4, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving eight days remaining,” the ITIA said in a statement.
During her provisional suspension, Swiatek forfeited prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament following the positive test. She had also withdrawn from tournaments in Asia in September, citing personal matters and fatigue. Swiatek described the experience of testing positive as the “worst experience of my life.”
At the time of the test, Swiatek was ranked World No. 1. Her absence from the Asian swing allowed Aryna Sabalenka to overtake her in the world rankings, ending the year as the new No. 1.
“In the last two and a half months, I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence,” Swiatek shared on Instagram. “The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low levels of a banned substance I’ve never heard about before, put everything I’ve worked so hard for my entire life into question. Both me and my team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained, and with a clean slate, I can go back to what I love most.”
The ITIA lifted Swiatek’s provisional suspension on October 4 after she provided samples of her melatonin product to the WADA-accredited SMRTL laboratory in Salt Lake City. The laboratory confirmed the presence of low doses of TMZ in both opened and sealed containers of the product. The case has been forwarded to an independent tribunal for further review.
Swiatek’s return to the sport is highly anticipated as fans and fellow players look forward to her comeback on the court.
Reference(s):
Swiatek accepts one-month ban after failing doping test, says ITIA
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