Iga Swiatek has admitted she was “scared” of how people would react to her doping suspension and doesn’t expect an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after serving a one-month ban. The 23-year-old, a five-time major winner, tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in August while she was ranked world number one.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined the positive test resulted from contamination, and Swiatek’s brief suspension ended on 4 December.
Unlike men’s world number one Jannik Sinner, who failed two tests in March and whose case is being appealed by WADA, Swiatek does not foresee a similar outcome for her. She explained, “I was suspended for a long time and lost my number one ranking because of it. I provided all possible evidence, so I don’t expect an appeal, though I have no control over what happens.”
Swiatek’s positive test was linked to contaminated melatonin, a non-prescription supplement she used for sleep and jet lag. The ITIA found her fault to be minimal, placing it at the lowest level of negligence.
During her suspension, Swiatek missed the Korea Open, China Open, and Wuhan Open, and had to forfeit her prize money from the Cincinnati Open. Speaking ahead of the United Cup in Australia, Swiatek expressed relief at the generally positive public response, especially from Poland, where she received strong support. “I was scared people would turn their back on me, but the support has been great,” she said. “Of course, there were some negative comments, but I don’t pay much attention to those.”
Swiatek and Sinner are both considered favourites for the upcoming Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 12 January.
