‘I was scared that most people are going to turn their back on me’: World No. 2 Iga Swiatek on her doping suspension
Three months after testing positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ), which was later determined to be the result of contamination in a non-prescription drug, former world No. 1 and five-time major champion Iga Świątek has opened up about her fears of negative reactions following her doping suspension. The 23-year-old, currently ranked world No. 2, served a one-month suspension and missed four tournaments during the ban imposed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
“Overall, the reaction in Poland, because that’s mostly what I saw, has been pretty supportive. And I really, really appreciate that, because even when I missed the China Swing and nobody knew why, it wasn’t easy. So after the information about my case was released, I was scared that most people were going to turn their back on me. But I felt the support, and it’s great,” Świątek shared with the media ahead of the United Cup in Australia.
Świątek, who was world No. 1 at the time, was tested ahead of the Cincinnati Open, and the ITIA later revealed she had tested positive for trace amounts of trimetazidine, a banned heart medication, in a test conducted on August 10. This was 10 days after her semifinal loss to Aryna Sabalenka at the Cincinnati Open. Świątek went on to compete in the US Open, where she lost to Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals, and was notified of her one-month suspension on September 12.
As a result, Świątek missed the Korea Open, China Open, and Wuhan Open, and forfeited her prize money from the Cincinnati Open. Later, the ITIA concluded that the positive test was due to contamination from the non-prescription medication melatonin, which Świątek had taken for jet lag and sleep issues. According to the ITIA report, Świątek had disclosed a list of 14 medications and supplements she was using at the time. Despite the suspension, Świątek returned to compete in the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup, after serving a 22-day suspension. Her ban officially ended on December 4.
Świątek expressed relief that the case is likely closed, stating, “I was suspended for a long time, and I lost the world No. 1 ranking because of that. I know how the procedure worked, and I provided all the evidence I could. There’s not much more to do. So I’m not expecting an appeal, but I have no control over what happens next.”
