World tennis reports the next prominent doping case. After the men’s world number one, Jannik Sinner, a positive doping result has now also been reported for the women’s world number two, Iga Swiatek. As the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced, the five-time Grand Slam tournament winner from Poland tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), a well-known heart medication. The positive result comes from a non-competition test on August 12th.
“Worst experience of my life”
Swiatek was then provisionally suspended, as has only now become known from the ITIA’s announcement. She then missed three tournaments. She justified her absence due to fatigue and personal problems. Swiatek described the ordeal of testing positive as the “worst experience of my life.” Skipping the tournaments also cost her the number 1 ranking. “Over the last two and a half months I have been the subject of a rigorous ITIA process that has confirmed my innocence,” Swiatek said on Instagram.
The only positive doping test of her career revealed “incredibly low levels of a banned substance that I had never heard of before” and called into question everything she had worked hard to achieve all her life. “Both I and my team struggled with enormous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been explained in detail and with a clean slate I can return to what I love most.”
Taken against the effects of jet lag
The subsequent investigation into the case revealed that Swiatek had purchased the drug in her home country and said she had taken it to combat the effects of jet lag. The investigators classified the Polish woman’s statements as credible and considered the violation to be a non-serious case. Swiatek has now agreed to a one-month suspension, almost all of which was served in late summer. The long-time number one can therefore start the new season as normal in Australia at the turn of the year. She also has to pay back part of the prize money she won.
Parallels to the Sinner case
The case still raises questions. Especially because of the 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. Although the man from Sexten did not receive a ban, he was suspended twice for a few days until his appeal was dealt with. The ITIA justified the acquittal by saying that it could not prove Sinner was guilty of 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).
It is not yet known whether WADA will also lodge an objection in Swiatek’s case.
