Iga Swiatek has spoken about the “horror and disappointment” of her positive doping case – and how it is “hard to compare” her punishment with those received by other players.

She was told of her positive result in September and was given a one-month ban, part of which she served when she missed the Asia swing.

“My manager said my reaction was like someone had died or something serious had happened to my health.

“I thought it might be a mistake. I really didn’t understand what was happening. The name of the substance itself was completely unfamiliar to me. I had never heard of its origin. I didn’t think much, I was just overwhelmed with emotions.”

Swiatek is the second high-profile player to test positive for a banned substance this year after men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Reflecting on the emotions she has felt over the last few months, Swiatek said: “Horror. And a huge disappointment.

“Just stepping onto the court was painful. If it hadn’t been for my training partner, Tomek Moczek, who at the beginning was doing training sessions with me like you do with kids – we were just having fun on the court – I think I wouldn’t have gone out to practice at all.

“The truth is, I love playing tennis, but not enough to sacrifice my honour or my values. I was put in a situation where suddenly people could judge me very negatively because of what happened.”

Swiatek says she received messages of support from fellow players and is reluctant to compare the ban she received to the outcomes of doping cases involving Sinner, Simona Halep or fellow Pole Kamil Majchrzak.

While Swiatek was banned for one month, Sinner didn’t get a suspension, Halep was originally banned for four years before it was reduced on appeal, and Majchrzak was given a 13-month ban.

“I know that people automatically need to compare such situations to others that have happened before, but the truth is that each of these cases is completely different. And the process of proving innocence will also vary accordingly.

“It’s hard to compare me to Sinner, Halep, or Kamil Majchrzak because each of us is dealing with a different issue. I think that’s more of a question for the ITIA than for the player. My fate, just like others, was in their hands, and they decide how each case unfolds. 

“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.”

US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula has said the “explanation made sense” regarding Swiatek’s doping case.

But she added the punishments for positive doping tests “seem hit and miss” which can appear “frustrating”.

“I mean you have to trust that they’re doing their job – that they’re coming to the right conclusion.

“I think it’s just frustrating for people on the outside – or even for some players – that it just seems so hit or miss with how people get punished.

“I’ve been explained why it happens. But at the same time, it’s like ‘Yeah, but how does this vary so deeply?’

“I think that can be frustrating. But how it was explained to me, it seems pretty cut and dried almost, and the explanation made sense.”