Iga Swiatek reveals her reaction was like ‘someone had died’ after learning she failed dope test

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who tested positive for trimetazidine, said the doping case caused her a great deal of distress.

Iga Swiatek reveals her reaction was like ‘someone had died’ after learning she failed dope test

Iga Swiatek (Image via X)

Iga Swiatek, in a recent interview, talked about her doping scandal and revealed how she reacted when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) informed her that she failed a drug test. Swiatek tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine in August just before the Cincinnati Open.

The banned drug reached her body through melatonin, a regulated medication, which she had been consuming to deal with jet lag and sleep problems. The fact that she failed the test overwhelmed her immensely and shocked her, even perhaps more than the tennis community.

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My reaction was very intense. It was a mix of confusion and panic. There was a lot of crying. My manager said my reaction was like someone had died or something serious had happened to my health.

Iga Swiatek told TVN24

Swiatek was stripped of the Cincinnati Open prize money she won after reaching the semifinals. Along with this, she also faced a one-month ban, which included a three-week suspension.

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The 23-year-old, while serving the mandatory suspension, couldn’t play three tournaments on the Asian swing, the Korea Open, China Open, and Wuhan Open, which also affected her rankings and Aryna Sabalenka, on the back of her successful runs in several hard-court events, clinched the year-end No.1 ranking.

Iga Swiatek says judgment is not given based on rankings

When Iga Swiatek‘s report was made public in November, it caused an uproar in the tennis world as a section of them started to blame the ITIA for giving a mild punishment to the Pole.

Iga Swiatek (3)
Iga Swiatek (Image via X)

Before Swiatek, men’s World No. 1 Jannik Sinner failed a dope test as clostebol was found in his body. The prize money he won after reaching the Indian Wells semifinals was taken away as punishment, plus he faced two suspensions which did not affect his schedule at all.

Both Sinner and Swiatek were at the receiving end of criticism as they both avoided a lengthy ban, while the ITIA was accused of double standards. Swiatek claimed that ITIA did not give its verdicts based on rankings.

I trust that this process is objective, that everything is done according to the rules, and that no one judges a player either way based on their ranking. What mattered most to me was that I could start the new season with a clean slate and just focus on playing.

Iga Swiatek told TVN24

Swiatek has served her ban, and while Sinner bore no fault and negligence in ITIA’s ruling, he could face a ban as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is set to give its verdict on his case in February next year after World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) demanded a ban on the Italian in their appeal.