The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Thursday confirmed that World No.1 woman player Iga Swiatek of Poland has accepted a one-month suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping programme for testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Swiatek has tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) and was provisionally suspended from September 12, 2024. She successfully appealed against the verdict and got the period reduced, thus missing three tournaments.
The ITIA accepted that the prohibited substance was because of a contaminated regulated medication, which results in a "No Significant Fault or Negligence finding", thus handing a one-month suspension.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed today that Iga Swiatek, 23-year-old tennis player from Poland, has accepted one-month suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme after a positive test for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) out-of-competition sample tested in August 2024, the ITIA announced Thursday.
According to an investigation by ITIA, the source of the banned substance was a "contaminated regulated medication".
The ITIA probe said the test "results in no significant fault or negligence finding and thus handed a one-month suspension", the statement said.
The WTA too accepted the decision and issued a statement saying it supports the player.
"The WTA recognizes the ruling by International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) – which oversees the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP) - to sanction Iga Swiatek with a one-month suspension, after detecting the presence of a contaminated prescribed medication, melatonin as the cause for her Trimetazidine positive," the WTA said in its statement.
"The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. Iga has always demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges that athletes face in navigating the use of medications and supplements," the statement said.
This is the second high-profile doping case in tennis after men's World No.1 Jannik Sinner had earlier returned a positive test. In this case, the ITIA accepted his contention that the banned substance entered his body when the masseur used it.
Many people associated with the sport have reacted with regret that Sinner escaped a dope test after failing.
Now Iga Swiatek getting a lighter punishment will definitely raise questions over the sport's anti-doping programme and its implementation.
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