The International Tennis Integrity Agency: Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek described her recent doping suspension as a "horror and nightmare" while emphasizing her determination to prove her innocence. Swiatek, 23, tested positive for trace amounts of Trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample taken on August 12.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on November 28 that the violation was unintentional, attributing the positive test to contamination in a regulated melatonin product she used for jet lag and sleep issues. Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension, retroactively served, allowing her to compete again by December 4, reports Xinhua.
"My reaction was very intense—confusion, panic, a lot of crying," Swiatek told Polish media. "It felt like something terrible had happened to my health or career."
The Pole revealed she spent significant resources -- $70,000 on legal fees and €15,000 on expert tests -- to clear her name. "The most important thing was to prove my innocence," she said. Swiatek expressed relief that the ordeal ended swiftly. "I can start the new season with a clean slate and focus on playing," she concluded.
The ITIA has accepted that the prohibited substance was because of a contaminated regulated medication, which results in a "No Significant Fault or Negligence finding", thus handing a one-month suspension.
"The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Iga Swiatek, a 23-year-old tennis player from Poland, has accepted a one-month suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024," the ITIA informed.
The ITIA has accepted that the prohibited substance was because of a contaminated regulated medication, which results in a "No Significant Fault or Negligence finding", thus handing a one-month suspension.
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Article Source: IANS