As Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek gear up for the new tennis season, concerns over contamination-related doping violations continue to grip the sport. Both stars faced doping allegations last year but were cleared after proving the banned substances in their systems came from inadvertent contamination.
The incidents have left many players wary. Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu recently highlighted the issue, revealing she avoids certain supplements due to the risk of contamination. “A lot of players are apprehensive,” Raducanu told British media. “Even batch testing supplements costs over $1,000.”
Russian player Andrey Rublev echoed her concerns, admitting he is “super afraid” of ingesting anything he cannot fully trust.
The financial burden of defending oneself against doping allegations is another concern. Swiatek reportedly spent $70,000 on legal fees and over $15,000 on expert opinions in her case, while Sinner had to prove contamination during massages by his physiotherapist caused trace amounts of a banned steroid in his system.
While Sinner was cleared, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the verdict, leaving the Italian facing a potential two-year ban. Swiatek, meanwhile, accepted a one-month ban after showing her positive test for trimetazidine stemmed from contaminated sleep medication.
Experts, including Andrea Petroczi, a public health professor at Kingston University, warn that many athletes lack the resources to ensure absolute vigilance. “There is a clear divide between those who can afford top-tier defences and those who cannot,” Petroczi said, adding that disparities in education, resources, and support leave many players vulnerable.
Calls for reform have grown louder. Rublev has urged for swifter rulings in contamination cases and less rigid rules to avoid unfair punishments for accidental violations. “Of course, you want clean sport,” Rublev told Tennis Majors. “But it shouldn’t be so strict that players are afraid even when it’s not their fault.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which oversees anti-doping, insists all cases are based on facts, not a player’s status or nationality. However, criticism over lengthy delays and resource disparities continues to plague the system, particularly as tennis players, being self-employed, face severe financial consequences during bans or legal battles.
The debate is unlikely to subside as Sinner and Swiatek’s cases proceed, with growing pressure on tennis authorities to strike a fair balance between maintaining a clean sport and protecting players from undue harm.
