Tennis

Iga Swiatek accepts one-month ban after testing positive for trimetazidine

The ITIA accepted that the five-time Grand Slam winner’s medication for jet lag and sleep was contaminated

Poland's Iga Swiatek has received a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. Photograph: Angel Martinez/Getty
Poland's Iga Swiatek has received a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. Photograph: Angel Martinez/Getty
Tumaini Carayol
Thu Nov 28 2024 - 14:27

Iga Swiatek, the world number two women’s tennis player, has received a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in August 2024.

In a statement on Thursday, the International Tennis Integrity Agency, which governs the tennis anti-doping programme, ruled that Swiatek’s anti-doping rule violation was not intentional and that she bore no significant fault or negligence for the positive test on “the lowest end of the range” and they imposed a one-month ban.

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The ITIA accepted that Swiatek’s positive doping test had been caused by her contaminated medication, melatonin, which Swiatek had taken for jet lag and sleep issues.

Swiatek had tested positive for TMZ in an out-of-competition urine sample taken on August 12th, 2024 and she received a provisional suspension for three weeks between September 12th and October 4th. Swiatek withdrew from three tournaments during that period – the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open – citing personal reasons.

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After her three-week absence, Swiatek successfully appealed her provisional suspension and she returned for the final two tournaments of the season, the WTA Finals and Billie Jean King Cup.

Over the past few years, Swiatek has established herself as the most successful tennis players of her generation. The 23-year-old Pole has won five grand slam titles, including four of the last five titles at Roland Garros, and she has been No 1 for 125 weeks, including for most of the 2024 season.

In a statement, the ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said: “Once the source of the TMZ had been established, it became clear that this was a highly unusual instance of a contaminated product, which in Poland is a regulated medicine.

“However, the product does not have the same designation globally, and the fact that a product is a regulated medication in one country cannot of itself be sufficient to avoid any level of fault. Taking into account the nature of the medication, and all the circumstances, it does place that fault at the lowest end of the scale.

“This case is an important reminder for tennis players of the strict liability nature of the World Anti-Doping Code and the importance of players carefully considering the use of supplements and medications. It is vital that appropriate due diligence takes place to minimise the risk of inadvertent ADRVs such as this.

The Women’s Tennis Association, meanwhile, acknowledged the findings of Swiatek’s anti-doping case and offered their support to Swiatek: “The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. Iga has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and upholding the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in navigating the use of medications and supplements.

“The WTA remains steadfast in our support for a clean sport and the rigorous processes that protect the integrity of competition. We also emphasise that athletes must take every precaution to verify the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”

Swiatek’s anti-doping case marks is the second high-profile case in tennis over the last four months after Jannik Sinner, the men’s number one, received a ruling of no fault or negligence and no suspension in August after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March.