Iga Swiatek says she is “not expecting” world anti-doping authorities to appeal the one-month doping ban she received after testing positive for a banned substance.
The five-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 2 discussed her suspension from tennis — during which she missed three tournaments and relinquished the world No. 1 ranking to Aryna Sabalenka — at a news conference for the United Cup in Sydney, where she is representing Poland. Swiatek, who August 12 tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a heart medication, said: “I think people are understanding, most of them.”
Swiatek doesn’t “think there is any reason” for an appeal, adding that she has “no influence on what’s going to happen.” The Polish anti-doping agency (POLADA) has until December 31 to lodge an appeal with the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), after which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has 21 days to lodge an appeal of its own.
POLADA originally had until December 19, but requested an extension, as reported by Sport.Pl. A spokesperson for POLADA did not immediately return a request for comment from The Athletic.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) informed Swiatek of her positive test September 12 and provisionally suspended her. Swiatek appealed that provisional suspension within 10 days, arguing that her melatonin medication was contaminated.
Independent laboratory tests confirmed this argument and her appeal was successful, so her provisional suspension was not publicly disclosed until late November, when the ITIA concluded its investigation and awarded a one-month ban. “The ones who read the documents and are aware of how the system works, they know that I had no fault and I had no influence on what was going on,” Swiatek said.
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Swiatek served 22 days of that ban from September to October and the remainder between November and December.
WADA has lodged an appeal into men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s doping case which could result in a ban of up to two years for the Italian if upheld. It will not be heard before the end of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season which starts January 12 in Melbourne. Sinner and Sabalenka are the defending singles champions, with Swiatek exiting the 2024 event in the third round.
Swiatek opens her United Cup campaign December 30, when she faces Norwegian world No. 404 Malene Helgo.
(David Gray / AFP via Getty Images)
