World tennis reports the next prominent doping case. After world number one Jannik Sinner, five-time Grand Slam tournament winner Iga Swiatek 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. Swiatek was then provisionally suspended, as has only now become known from Itia’s announcement. She then missed three tournaments.
Agency classifies case as not serious
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 viewed the attack as 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 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.
Swiatek spoke about the “hardest time of her life” in a video on her Instagram channel. “When I got the result on September 12th, I was shocked and afraid,” said the Polish woman. But she is now happy that the case has been resolved and she can start the new year “with a clean slate.” “I will come back stronger than before,” announced the current number two in the world.
As with Sinner – questions remain
The case still 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 and 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 Swiatek’s case. “As in all cases, Wada will look closely at the decision and reserve the right to appeal to CAS if appropriate,” said Wada upon request.
