Swiatek was ‘scared’ of reaction after doping ban

Iga Swiatek was “scared” by a hostile reaction to her doping ban and says she does not expect an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after serving a month-long suspension.

Five-time major winner Swiatek, 23, tested positive for the heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) in August, when it was number one in the world.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the test result was caused by contamination and Swiatek’s brief suspension ended on December 4.

Men’s world number one Jannik Sinner did not receive a sanction after failing two tests in March and The AMA has appealed against that decision – but Swiatek said he sees “no reason” for a similar result in his case.

On the possibility of a WADA appeal, Swiatek said: “I was suspended for a long time and lost the (world) number one because of that. “I also know how the procedure worked and gave all possible evidence.

“Honestly, there’s not much else to do. So I don’t expect an appeal, but I have no influence on what’s going to happen.”

The ITIA accepted that Swiatek’s positive test was caused by contamination of the regulated over-the-counter medication melatonin, manufactured and sold in Poland, which Swiatek took for jet lag and sleep problems.

Swiatek’s level of fault was found to be at the lower end of the range of “no significant fault or negligence.”

The Pole missed three tournaments (the Korea Open, the China Open and the Wuhan Open) during her suspension. She was also forced to forfeit prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament that directly followed the test.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the United Cup season opener in Australia, the four-time French Open winner addressed the media and public reaction to her first-time suspension.

Swiatek said: “I think their response has been more positive than I thought.

“I think most people are understanding and those who read the documents and know how the system works know that I was not at fault and had no influence on what was happening.

“Overall the reaction, in Poland basically because this is mostly what I read, has been quite supportive. I really appreciate it a lot, because even when I missed the China swing and no one knew why, it wasn’t that easy.

“I was afraid that most people would turn their back on me. But I felt the support and it’s great. Obviously there will be some negative comments and you’re not going to avoid that. I just have to accept it. and I don’t really care about that, honestly.” .

Italy’s Sinner still faces the threat of a possible suspension following his positive test for the anabolic steroid clostebol after Wada appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Swiatek and Sinner will start among the favorites for the first Grand Slam of the year, with the Australian Open beginning in Melbourne on January 12.

While Sinner won the men’s title in January, Swiatek never made it past the semi-finals at Melbourne Park and lost to Linda Noskova in the third round of the 2024 tournament.