Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month ban after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) revealed on Thursday, November 28, that the Pole tested positive for a banned substance. The ITIA also laid bare the potential reason behind the former World No. 1 being let off the hook without a lengthier suspension.
Swiatek, one of women's tennis' most dominant forces in recent years, won five titles during the 2024 season, including the French Open. However, her form dipped following Roland-Garros, and this allowed her closest rival Aryna Sabalenka to leapfrog her on the WTA Tour rankings. The Pole finished the season as the World No. 2.
On Thursday, November 28, the ITIA confirmed that Iga Swiatek had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a prohibited substance, in August this year, in an out-of-competition sample. Under the ITIA's Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, the Pole was handed a one-month suspension, which she has accepted. She also served a provisional suspension from September 12 and missed three events as a result.
The seemingly lenient nature of the punishment stems from the ITIA's understanding of Swiatek's exposure to the banned substance. Based on the explanation for the contamination provided by the Pole's side, the ITIA has deemed that the exposure was unintentional.
The substance apparently entered Swiatek's bloodstream after contaminating melatonin, a medication that the Pole was using to treat sleep issues and symptoms of jet lag. According to Swiatek, her physician had recommended melatonin for her use.
After the news broke, Swiatek herself took to social media to open up about the situation.
Iga Swiatek lays bare her difficulties in coming to terms with doping reality
Not long after the ITIA confirmed Iga Swiatek's acceptance of a one-month suspension, the Pole took to Instagram and shared a detailed video of her explanation of the events that led to her ban. The former World No. 1 revisited her shock at finding out that she had tested positive for TMZ but acknowledged the swift and cooperative response from her side.
"On September 12 I learned that my anti-doping test sample, collected on August 12 - so, before the Cincinnati Open - 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," Swiatek said.
"It turns out testing revealed historically lowest levels of TMZ, 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 very chaotic. We instantly reacted and cooperated with the ITIA," she added.
The five-time Major winner finished 2024 with a 61-9 win-loss record and earned over $8 million in prize money throughout the year. However, she will have to forfeit the prize money she earned from her run to the semifinals at the Cincinnati Open, the WTA 1000 event she participated in shortly after providing the sample that eventually tested positive for TMZ.