"Unless someone is doing the Lance Armstrong, do these make any difference?" - Iga Swiatek's doping ban prompts unique take from YouTuber Karue Sell

YouTuber Karue Sell, who is also an ATP Top 300 player, had a unique take on doping standards in sports. Following shock news of Iga Swiatek's doping ban, Sell shared his take, citing Lance Armstrong's case.

On Thursday, the tennis world was rocked by the news that former World No. 1 Swiatek had tested positive in an out-of-competition sample in August. She was handed a provisional suspension in September and has now accepted a one-month ban, of which seven days were left to be served. The ITIA concluded that Iga Swiatek's positive doping test was unintentional. This came after she explained that her non-prescription melatonin, commonly available in Poland, was contaminated with trimetazidine (TMZ).

Swiatek said she had been using the medication to manage sleep issues and jet lag. The amount of the banned substance in Swiatek's system, however, was found to be very low.

Karue Sell, YouTuber and ATP World No. 260, took to X (formerly Twitter) to write about the situation this week. He said,

"I'm no expert but unless someone is doing the lance Armstrong out there, do these substances even make any difference? And let's be real, I think so many players are walking right on the line of dropping [doping]. Just gotta have money to hire a great pharmacist (remember Icarus?) 🤷‍♂️"

Lance Armstrong, a cycling champion, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career.

He had denied doping for years before confessing in 2013 after an extensive investigation and mounting evidence revealed he was part of a sophisticated doping program.

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"This whole situation made me very anxious" - Iga Swiatek opens up on experience of testing positive for an illegal substance

Iga Swiatek at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals (Image: Getty)

Iga Swiatek revealed that she faced anxiety after learning of her positive tests for TMZ. She took to Instagram to address the news soon after it was made public.

She wrote,

"On September 12 I learned that my anti-doping test sample, collected on August 12 before the Cincinnati tournament, tested positive. It was a blow for me. I was shocked and this whole situation made me very anxious. At first, I couldn't understand how that was even possible and where it came from."

She added,

"It turns out testing revealed historically lowest levels of trimetazidine, a substance I've never heard about before. I don't think I even knew it existed, I have never encountered it, nor did people around me. So I had a strong sense of injustice, and these first few weeks were really chaotic. We instantly reacted and cooperated with the ITIA."

Swiatek had a fantastic first six months of 2024 as she won five titles including the French Open. However, she had fewer appearances on the court in the second half of the season.

After learning of her positive tests in September, the Pole missed several events before competing at the WTA Finals. She exited the event in the round robin stage after losing to eventual winner Coco Gauff. Swiatek also lost her top rank to Aryna Sabalenka in October and finished the season as World No. 2.