Former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek received a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance used to treat heart problems, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Thursday.
Swiatek failed a doping test taken outside a competition venue in August, and the ITIA accepted his explanation suggesting the result was accidental and caused by contamination of a drug in over-the-counter melatonin, which she took to combat the effects of jet lag and her sleep problems.
The ITIA said the level of trimetazidine found in its anti-doping test was “at the lower end of the spectrum, suggesting that there was no significant fault or negligence.”
“This experience, the most difficult of my life so far, taught me a good lesson,” Swiatek said, in a video posted on his social networks.
“All this marked me for the rest of my life. It was very difficult to return to training after this situation came very close to breaking my heart, so I shed a lot of tears and I spent several sleepless nights, Swiatek confided, in a broadcast message in Polish with English subtitles. The worst part of it all was the doubt. I didn’t know what would happen with my career, how things would turn out, and if I would ever be able to play tennis again. »
This is the second significant case of doping in the world of tennis: world No. 1, Italian Jannik Sinner, failed two anti-doping tests with a steroid in March before being cleared of all charges in August, just before the start of the US Open. Sinner also triumphed at Flushing Meadows, winning his second major title of the season.
The 23-year-old Pole, who has won five career Grand Slam titles, is now world No. 2. She won the French Open in June, and won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics tournament last August.
“The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. “Iga has always demonstrated a willingness to play fair and respect anti-doping principles, and this mishap once again demonstrates the challenges athletes face when using supplements and other medications.” declared the WTA circuit in a press release.
TMZ is a medication that allows better blood flow to the heart and limits rapid changes in blood pressure. This can help ease chest pain due to blocked blood vessels. This substance is at the heart of a doping story involving 23 Chinese swimmers who were still able to continue their sporting activities despite positive results obtained in 2021.
Swiatek officially admitted his guilt on Wednesday and accepted the sanction.
She said she was “stunned” by the drug test result, and said she had never heard of TMZ. She said she had been using melatonin “for a very long time,” and added that because of “all the traveling, the jet lag and the stress associated with this job, I wouldn’t be able to sleep without it.”
She has already been provisionally suspended from September 22 to October 4, after missing three tournaments during the Asian portion of the calendar on cement — the South Korea Open, the China Open and the Wuhan Open.
His provisional suspension was lifted after his challenge demonstrated that the wrong result had been obtained due to contamination of his melatonin.
In the end, since she received a one-month suspension, she will now serve her remaining eight days of suspension, while there is no tournament on the calendar, and will obtain the green light to resume her activities from December 4.
“I’ll be able to go into the new season with an empty head, being able to focus on what I’ve always done — which is playing tennis,” said Swiatek, who hired coach Wim Fissette in October .
Swiatek was also fined $158,944 — the amount she pocketed for participating in the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open last August, immediately after obtaining a positive doping test.
“Once the origin of TMZ was established, it became clear that this was a very unusual case of a contaminated product, which is a medicine obtained under prescription in Poland. However, the product does not have the same designation globally, and the fact that a product is a prescription drug in one country cannot in itself be enough to avoid any level of misconduct,” Karen said. Moorhouse, President and COO of ITIA.
“Given the nature of the drug and all the circumstances, that puts this misconduct at the low end of the spectrum,” Moorhouse said. This case is an important reminder to tennis players of their responsibility to strictly adhere to the world anti-doping code, and of the importance of them being cautious when considering the use of supplements and other medications. »
