Women’s tennis world No. 2 Iga Swiatek has been handed a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Thursday, via Tumaini Carayol of The Guardian on X, formerly Twitter. Swiatek’s ban was determined to be unintentional, stemming from contamination in a melatonin supplement used to manage jetlag.
The positive test came from an out-of-competition sample collected on Aug. 12, ahead of the Cincinnati Open. The ITIA informed Swiatek of the result on Sept. 12, imposing a mandatory provisional suspension. After an appeal and investigation, the ITIA concluded that Swiatek bore “No Significant Fault or Negligence,” citing the trace amounts of TMZ and confirming that the contamination was unintentional, according to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic.
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, has already served most of her ban. Having missed 22 days during the investigation, she has eight days remaining and will be eligible to compete at the Australian Open in January.
The ITIA’s investigation included analysis of Swiatek’s medications and supplements by independent laboratories, including a WADA-accredited facility. The results confirmed that the banned substance was present in one of her melatonin supplements, which does not require a prescription in Poland and is commonly used under medical supervision.
Iga Swiatek misses tournaments during suspension
During her provisional suspension, Swiatek missed several tournaments, including the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open, citing “personal reasons” at the time. Her absence also led to her losing the world No. 1 ranking, a title she had held for over 100 weeks.
Swiatek’s provisional suspension was lifted on Oct. 4, allowing her to compete in the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia and the Billie Jean King Cup in Malaga. However, the ITIA confirmed that Swiatek would forfeit her prize money from the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semifinals. Her ranking points from the tournament will remain unaffected.
In a statement on Thursday, Swiatek reflected on the experience, calling it “the most difficult” of her career.
It took a lot of strength. Returning to training after this situation nearly broke my heart. There were many tears and sleepless nights,” she said in a video statement.
Swiatek also underwent a coaching change during this period, parting ways with Tomasz Wiktorowski after three years and hiring Wim Fissette in early October.
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