Iga Swiatek Looks Back on the Emotional Weight of her Doping Scandal

Current World No. 3 Iga Swiatek was banned for one month for her doping scandal last year.

Iga Swiatek Looks Back on the Emotional Weight of her Doping Scandal

Iga Swiatek (Image via X/Cycling on TNT Sports)

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Iga Swiatek shared that she was devastated after receiving an email in November 2024 about a failed doping test. She described the news as “terrible” and said she cried for two weeks. The test dated back a few months, and the outcome left her feeling confused and overwhelmed.

Later that month, it was revealed that Swiatek had accepted a one-month suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). She tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance. Swiatek explained that the source was likely a contaminated batch of non-prescription melatonin she used for sleep and jet lag. Swiatek said on Served With Andy Roddick Podcast:

We met in the evening with my whole team and the doctor, and we first called a lawyer, I hired him over the phone basically, it was very confusing. Honestly, I was in a terrible state, I was joking, I was sarcastic, because I just had to do something to stay stable. When everything was revealed publicly, I cried for two weeks, I couldn’t train, because I felt like tennis had done this to me and I was in this situation because of tennis. I felt like I was losing my integrity…

The ITIA determined the violation was unintentional. Their conclusion followed a full investigation, including interviews and lab analyses by WADA-accredited facilities. Despite this, Swiatek missed three tournaments, including major WTA events in Beijing and Wuhan, before the details were publicly known.

The situation drew more attention due to comparisons with Jannik Sinner, who faced backlash after two failed doping tests earlier in 2024. Another case involved a British athlete who blamed contaminated Colombian meat but received a four-year ban. Swiatek is set to return at the Canadian Open, facing Hanyu Guo in her opening match.

Iga Swiatek opens up on losing the World No.1 ranking

Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek admitted that losing her No.1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka felt “freeing,” although she initially believed it was unfair. The shift happened after her unexpected exit in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open. That defeat ended her 75-week reign at the top — a run surpassed by only two women in history. She added:

When I lost the No.1 one to Aryna for a couple of weeks, I was kind of devastated, but then it was freeing when I kind of worked through it, and when I turned it around to something positive…Playing well in Australia, and then playing well in Doha, and I lost in semis, but I felt like I’m playing good and I felt like I deserved to be [No.1].

Iga Swiatek
Iga Swiatek

Though she regained the top ranking by the end of 2023, Swiatek acknowledged the mental toll it took on her. The change in position made her reflect on the pressures that come with being No.1. Despite the emotional impact, she eventually saw the break as a chance to reset. She continued:

Maybe it was not a lot of humility but I felt like I deserved to be No.1 and it was taken away from me. And having these kinds of feelings didn’t help me for the next month, because I just felt like the world is not fair.

Her brief time away from the top spot in 2023 doesn’t compare to the 2024 season. Sabalenka has held onto the No.1 ranking since October. During that time, Swiatek faced a doping suspension, which she later said added to the sense of unfairness she felt.

Now ranked third, Swiatek is aiming to climb back up. After her recent Wimbledon title, she’s looking to build momentum and re-establish herself among the top contenders.

Iga Swiatek learns her Canadian Open draw

The seventh WTA 1000 event of the season is set to begin in Montreal, featuring seven of the world’s top 10 players. Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek are the top two seeds, with world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka withdrawing before the draw. Other notable names in the draw include defending champion Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, Madison Keys, and Emma Raducanu.

Iga Swiatek (2)
Iga Swiatek (Image via X/Jimmie48 Photography)

Two Canadian players, Bianca Andreescu and Victoria Mboko, have been awarded wildcards. Gauff, the second-ranked player in the world, leads the top section of the draw. She is expected to face Danielle Collins in her opening match, provided Collins wins her first-round match against a qualifier. It would be the first meeting between Gauff and Collins.

If Gauff advances, she could meet 29th seed Olga Danilovic in the third round. In the round of 16, her likely opponents include Sofia Kenin or Diana Shnaider. In the quarter-finals, a potential clash with seventh seed Jasmine Paolini awaits. Paolini has beaten Gauff in both of their most recent encounters, though those were on clay.

Mirra Andreeva, the fourth seed, also features in Gauff’s half and is projected to face Emma Navarro in the quarters. Meanwhile, Swiatek headlines the bottom half of the draw. She will open against either a qualifier or Yulia Putintseva, who defeated her at Wimbledon.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is a likely third-round opponent, with Clara Tauson or Magdalena Frech possible in the fourth. Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, shares this quarter and may meet Swiatek in the last eight.

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