ITIA chief breaks silence on why Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner’s provisional suspension weren’t announced when they failed drug tests

ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse explained why they did not make Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner's reports public when they failed dope tests.

ITIA chief breaks silence on why Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner’s provisional suspension weren’t announced when they failed drug tests

Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek (Images via X)

Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner were the two high-profile players to fail dope tests in 2024. But when they did, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) did not make the report public and it was only after months it was done so.

This raised many eyebrows as it perplexed them that the announcements were made only after decisions were taken. ITIA chief Karen Moorhouse has now dismissed such claims of preferential treatment and revealed why the ITIA followed such protocols.

Moorhouse stated that as per the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), all sports have to impose provisional suspension but some sports don’t announce it. In tennis, however, after imposing the provisional suspension, the ITIA don’t make it public if the player who failed the test appeal the suspension and it’s successful within 10 days.

This allows time to test the B sample and it gives a player time to challenge the provisional suspension. If that appeal is successful and is made within 10 days, we don’t announce the provisional suspension. With Swiatek and Sinner, they appealed those provisional suspensions within ten days, they were successful, and under our rules, we don’t announce anything at that point.

Karen Moorhouse told Tennis365

The men’s World No.1 tested positive for anabolic steroid clostebol twice. He faced two provisional suspensions and the prize money he won at the Indian Wells was taken away.

The ITIA forfeited Swiatek’s prize money she won at the Cincinnati Open after testing positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine. The Pole was handed a one-month ban which included her three-week provisional suspension.

Iga Swiatek vs Aryna Sabalenka Madrid Open final wins WTA Award

Iga Swiatek is a force to be reckoned with on clay. This season she won three titles on the red dirt on the trot, one of them being the Madrid Open.

Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek
Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek (via Imago)

Swiatek locked horns with Aryna Sabalenka in the final and had to save three championship points to beat the Belarusian with a scoreline of 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(9-7). The match has been voted as the WTA Tour Match of the Year.

It was one of their three meetings in 2024. After the Madrid final, they clashed in the summit clash of the Italian Open which the 23-year-old won in straight sets. The World No. 2 however couldn’t overcome Sabalenka in the semifinal of the Cincinnati Open where in the final, the World No.1 emerged victorious.