Iga Swiatek faced a one-month suspension after her urine sample revealed traces of a banned substance. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) attributed the positive test to a contaminated medication, resulting in a low level of responsibility for Swiatek. This incident makes her the second prominent tennis player to test positive this year, following Jannik Sinner. While Sinner was fully cleared, Swiatek, who recently moved from No. 1 to No. 2 in the rankings, accepted the suspension announced on Thursday.
The ITIA clarified that Swiatek’s tainted sample was due to a contaminated sleep aid, melatonin, purchased by her psychologist from a pharmacy in Poland, where it is sold as medicine. Despite Swiatek listing 14 medications and supplements she was using, melatonin was not among them. The banned substance detected was trimetazidine, or TMZ, a heart medication that enhances blood flow efficiency and endurance, listed by the World Anti-Doping Agency as a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator.
Swiatek, a 23-year-old from Poland, has dominated women’s tennis over the past 2.5 seasons, especially on clay courts, winning four of the last five French Open titles, including the last three consecutively, and a U.S. Open championship. She also earned a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August.
Swiatek’s positive test occurred on August 12, following the Paris Olympics and just before the Cincinnati Open. She was provisionally suspended on September 12, a week after losing in the U.S. Open quarterfinals to Jessica Pegula. The suspension was lifted after she provided a credible explanation, supported by tests. The ITIA and Swiatek later agreed on a one-month suspension, with credit for the time she had already missed. As a result, she is now serving the remaining eight days of her penalty during the offseason, despite having played in the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup.
In comparison, Jannik Sinner tested positive for an anabolic steroid twice in March but was cleared after explaining that the substance came from a cream his trainer used before a massage. Although the ruling in Sinner’s case is under appeal by WADA, both cases highlight the importance of considering all circumstances and facts when determining penalties for doping violations in tennis.
