Nov. 28 (UPI) — Poland’s Iga Świątek is banned from playing professional tennis for a month after testing positive for the heart medication trimetazidine, the U.K.-based International Tennis Integrity Agency announced Thursday.
Świątek is the Women’s Tennis Association’s second-ranked player behind top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
“The International Tennis Integrity Agency today confirms that Iga Świątek, a 23-year-old tennis player from Poland, has accepted a one-month suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample in August,” the ITIA said while announcing the ban on Thursday.
The ITIA said Świątek did not intentionally violate its banned substances policy and tested positive due to a “contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication manufactured and sold in Poland.”
The medication is melatonin, which Świątek was taking to counteract jet lag and manager other sleep issues.
The ITIA investigated the matter and determined Świątek’s level of fault is “considered to be at the lowest range for ‘no significant fault or negligence.'”
The ITIA offered a one-month suspension to end the matter, which Świątek accepted on Wednesday.
Świątek is the second-ranked women’s professional tennis player and already missed three tournaments due to the matter.
The ITIA provisionally suspended Świątek from Sept. 12 through Oct. 4, which gives her eight more days to fulfill the month-long suspension.
Świątek also forfeits prize money that she won during the Cincinnati Open, during which she was the top seed but lost a semifinals match to eventual tournament champion Sabalenka in straight sets.
The ITIA is the official administrator for the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.
Officials with the WTA on Thursday acknowledged the ITIA’s suspension of Świątek and expressed support for the five-time grand slam winner.
“Iga has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and upholding the principles of clean sport,” the WTA said in a prepared statement. “This unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in navigating the use of medications and supplements.”
WTA officials said the organization continues to support clean competition and the processes in place to ensure integrity in women’s professional tennis.
“We also emphasize that athletes must take every precaution to verify the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences,” the WTA added.
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