Sport
Świątek Accepts One-Month Suspension After Positive Doping Test
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday that Polish player Iga Świątek, the French Open champion and current world No. 2, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
Świątek failed an out-of-competition doping test in August, but the ITIA determined that the positive result was due to contamination of her melatonin medication, produced and sold in Poland. Świątek had been using the medication to address sleep issues caused by frequent travel.
Since no major violation or gross negligence was found, the agency offered Świątek a one-month suspension, which she accepted.
In its statement, the ITIA said:
“The player was provisionally suspended between September 22 and October 4, during which she missed three tournaments. This period will count toward her suspension, leaving eight days remaining. Additionally, Świątek will forfeit the prize money she earned at the Cincinnati Open, the tournament immediately following the test.”
Świątek described the doping test failure as “the worst experience of my life,” sharing on Instagram:
“Over the past two and a half months, I have been subjected to strict scrutiny by the ITIA, which ultimately confirmed my innocence. This was the only positive doping test in my career, revealing incredibly low levels of a banned substance I had never even heard of, which questioned everything I’ve worked so hard for all my life.”
She added:
“My team and I had to endure immense stress and anxiety. Now that everything has been clarified, I am ready to return to the sport I love with a clean slate.”
