Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, a heart medication. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted Swiatek’s explanation that the positive test was unintentional and caused by contaminated melatonin she was taking for jet lag. Swiatek expressed the difficulty of the situation, including uncertainty about her career.
This is the second recent high-profile doping case in tennis, with the top-ranked man, Jannik Sinner, also facing doping allegations earlier this year. The Women’s Tennis Association expressed support for Swiatek during this challenging time and emphasized the importance of athletes verifying the safety and compliance of all products they use. Swiatek accepted her penalty and has already served a provisional suspension.
Swiatek, who reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in April 2022, won the French Open in June and a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. She plans to start her new season with a clean slate and focus on tennis after serving the remaining days of her suspension. Swiatek was also fined the prize money she earned at the Cincinnati Open following the positive test. The ITIA CEO emphasized the strict liability nature of the World Anti-Doping Code and the importance of players carefully considering the use of supplements and medications.
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