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World No. 2 women’s tennis player Iga Świątek is in the midst of serving a one-month suspension stemming from a violation of the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s anti-doping policy.
According to ESPN, the ITIA announced Thursday that Świątek tested positive for trimetazidine, which is a heart medication also known by the name TMZ.
Świątek accepted the result of her failed August drug test and the one-month suspension, although she noted that she unintentionally consumed the substance via contamination of melatonin she took to to help her sleep and avoid jet lag.
The ITIA accepted Świątek’s explanation and determined that violation was “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence,” which is why were suspension was so brief.
Świątek’s was provisionally suspended from Sept. 12 through Oct. 8, and she has only eight days remaining on the ban. The 23-year-old star from Poland missed three tournaments while suspended.
Additionally, Świątek forfeited $158,944 in prize money won at the Cincinnati Open, which was the first tournament she played after testing positive.
Since the final eight days of her suspension will be served while no tournament is ongoing, Świątek is eligible to return to play as soon as Monday.
Świątek explained the situation in a video she posted Thursday on Instagram, saying:
“In the last 2½ months, I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence. The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low level of a banned substance I’ve never heard about before, put everything I’ve worked so hard for my entire life into question.
“Both me and my team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained, and with a clean slate I can go back to what I love most.”
Although she has been surpassed by Aryna Sabalenka for the No. 1 ranking in women’s tennis, Świątek has consistently been the top player in the world for the past few years.
She won her first Grand Slam singles title at 2020 French Open, and also won at Roland Garros in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Świątek won the 2022 U.S. Open as well.
Although Świątek experienced third-round exits in the 2024 Australian Open and Wimbledon, and lost in the U.S. Open quarterfinals, she won a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris to go along with her 2024 French Open title.
With Świątek’s suspension essentially over, she will be all clear to compete in the 2025 Australian Open, which will be held in Melbourne in January.
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