Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication known as TMZ, in an out-of-competition sample in August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday.
The ITIA accepted that the positive test was caused by the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland, that Swiatek had been taking for jet lag and sleep issues, and that the violation was therefore not intentional.
“I’m finally allowed… so I instantly want to share with you something that became the worst experience of my life,” Swiatek said in an Instagram post.
“In the last 2.5 months I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence.
“The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low level of a banned substance I’ve never heard about before, put everything I’ve worked so hard for my entire life into question.
“Both me and my team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained, and with a clean slate I can go back to what I love most.
“I know I will be stronger than ever. I’m just relieved it’s over.
“I want to be open with you, even though I know I did nothing wrong. Out of respect for my fans and the public, I’m sharing all the details of this longest and toughest tournament of my career.
“My biggest hope is that you will stay with me.”
It was determined her level of fault was “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence,” the IATA said.
Swiatek, 23, won the French Open in June and won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in August this year.
She was ranked World No 1 for most of the past two seasons but has now moved to No 2, with Aryna Sabalenka taking the top seed position..
More to follow…
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