The sport of tennis is shaken by the next high-profile doping case. After world number one Jannik Sinner, five-time Grand Slam tournament winner Iga Świątek has now also had a positive doping result. As the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) announced, the 23-year-old Pole tested positive for the drug TMZ.
The positive result comes from a non-competition test on August 12th. Świątek was then provisionally suspended, as has only now become known from Itia’s announcement. She then missed three tournaments.
The investigation into the case revealed that the current number two in women’s tennis said he had taken the drug to combat the effects of jet lag. The investigators classified the Polish woman’s statements as credible and viewed the attack as a non-serious case.
Świątek has now agreed to a one-month ban. This was almost completely served in late summer. The long-time number one can therefore start the new tennis season in Australia as normal at the turn of the year. She also has to pay back part of the prize money she won.
Itia’s approach has been criticized
But the doping case raises questions: especially because of Itia’s approach. As with Sinner, the public was not informed about the incident immediately after the positive doping test, but only now, after the investigation had been completed.
Sinner tested positive twice for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol in March. The 23-year-old did not receive a ban. The Itia justified the acquittal by saying that it had not been able to prove Sinner was guilty of any intentional fault or negligence.
The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada has lodged an objection; The case is now before the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). She left it open whether WADA would also lodge an objection in Świątek’s case. “As in all cases, Wada will look closely at the decision and reserve the right to appeal to CAS if appropriate,” Wada said.
