Swiatek on fears and prospects of WADA appeals

Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, December 27, 2024
Photo credit: Simon Bruty/US Open/USTA

Few opponents are afraid Iga Swiatek.

Five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek has shared her biggest fear after being suspended for a month after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August.

Pegula: Swiatek shell evokes belief and frustration

Swiatek said she worries about the public reaction and isolation that could follow a suspension.

But the world number two reports that she has received mainly positive support since news of her suspension broke.

“I think they responded more positively than I thought. I think people, most of them, are understanding, people who have read the documents and understand how the system works, they know that I'm not wrong and I'm right about what's going on What happened has no impact,” Swiatek told the media at the Polish team's Confederations Cup press conference. “I try to move on with my life and focus on different things, focus on preparing for the season and tennis because that's the best thing you can do after a situation like this.

“But overall, the response in Poland has been basically quite, you know, supportive, because that's mostly what I've read. And I really, really appreciate that because even when I miss the China swing and no one knows Why, it wasn't either. So after the information about my case was released, I was scared that most people would reject me, but I felt supported, which was great.

In a Thanksgiving announcement, International Tennis Integrity Agency Swiatek accepted that her positive test was caused by contamination from a regulated over-the-counter drug (melatonin) that is manufactured and sold in Poland and that the player had been taking to treat jet lag. and sleep problems.

According to ITIA, Swiatek's failure level is considered to be at the lowest end of the “no major failure or negligence” range.

Swiatek, who resumed playing on December 8, missed the Asian Swing and forfeited the prize money she won in the Cincinnati Open semifinals. Cincinnati was the game the Pole played immediately after testing positive according to TMZ.

Asked at the Fed Cup if she was worried about WADA appealing her case, as was the case with men's world number one Jannik Sinner, Swiatek said that while she was not looking forward to an appeal, “I have no influence on what's going to happen.”

Since she was suspended, missed the Asian Swing and subsequently lost her world No. 1 ranking to her Cincinnati conqueror Aryna Sabalenka, Swiatek said she did not expect WADA to take action against Her case was appealed.

“I don't think there's any reason because I didn't play in three games,” Swiatek said. “I was banned for a long time and, you know, I lost my No. 1 spot because of it. I also know how the process works, I gave all the evidence I could and, honestly, there wasn't much that could be done. So. I don't know, we don't think there's any point in appealing.

WTA statement:

The WTA acknowledged the decision by the International Tennis Integrity Institute (ITIA), which administers the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP), to suspend Iga Swiatek for a month after discovering he was contaminated.

— WTA (@WTA) November 28, 2024

The reigning French Open champion called her experience “a fair process” and said she believed ITIA would “treat every player the same way.”

“So I'm not looking forward to an appeal, but I don't have any influence on what's going to happen,” Swiatek said. “But I can say that from the process I went through and how they treated me from the beginning, it seemed fair to me. I provided sources very quickly. That's why the case was closed very quickly .

“But, I still didn't play and I got a nice, small, token game, but it's over now. So I guess, in my mind, it was a fair process and I I believe ITIA will treat every player fairly in the same way no matter what.