World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing optimistic for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) introduced Thursday.
The optimistic take a look at, from an out-of-competition pattern in August, was linked to contamination in Swiatek’s melatonin medicine, which is offered over-the-counter in her residence nation, Poland. Swiatek mentioned she used melatonin to handle jet lag and sleep points.
Acknowledging no vital fault or negligence on Swiatek’s half, the ITIA categorized the violation as being at “the lowest end of the range” and provided a one-month suspension, which the 23-year-old reigning French Open champion accepted.
“The player was provisionally suspended from Sept. 12 until Oct. 4, missing three tournaments, which counts toward the sanction, leaving eight days remaining,” the ITIA mentioned in an announcement.
Swiatek additionally forfeited prize cash from the Cincinnati Open, the event immediately following the take a look at.
Swiatek, who had withdrawn from tournaments in Asia in September citing private issues and fatigue, described the ordeal because the “worst experience of my life.”
She was ranked No. 1 on the earth when she failed the take a look at. After skipping the Asian swing, Aryna Sabalenka overtook her within the rankings and ended the 12 months as world No. 1.
“In the last 2.5 months, I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence,” Swiatek wrote on Instagram. “The solely optimistic doping take a look at in my profession, exhibiting unbelievably low ranges of a banned substance I’ve by no means heard about earlier than, put every thing I’ve labored so onerous for my whole life into query.
“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.”
Swiatek’s anti-doping violation was not made public on the time. Her provisional suspension was lifted after she offered samples of her melatonin product to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, which confirmed low doses of TMZ in each opened and sealed containers.
The provisional suspension was lifted on Oct. 4, and the case was forwarded to an unbiased tribunal.
Notable doping instances
Swiatek is just not the primary world No. 1 to fail a doping take a look at this 12 months. Italy’s Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked males’s participant, additionally examined optimistic for the anabolic agent clostebol.
However, Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing by an unbiased tribunal forward of the U.S. Open, which he went on to win. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the tribunal’s ruling of “no fault or negligence” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
With two high-profile gamers escaping prolonged bans for doping violations, questions have been raised about tennis’s fame.
“These are not cases of intentional doping. We’re dealing with inadvertent breaches of the rules,” ITIA chief govt Karen Moorhouse mentioned Thursday. “So I don’t think this is a cause for concern for tennis fans. I think the fact that we’re being open and transparent shows the breadth and depth of our anti-doping program.”
Swiatek performed in Cincinnati, the place she was the highest seed and reached the semifinals. The WTA mentioned she earned practically $159,000 in prize cash on the event, which was gained by Sabalenka.
Swiatek later competed on the U.S. Open, the place she was knocked out within the quarterfinals, and on the WTA Finals in Riyadh, the place she did not advance from the group stage. She additionally represented Poland on the Billie Jean King Cup, the place her group misplaced within the semifinals to eventual champions Italy.
The WTA mentioned it “fully supports” the ITIA’s determination and acknowledged Swiatek’s constant dedication to truthful play.
“Iga has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and upholding the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in navigating the use of medications and supplements,” the WTA mentioned.
Russian determine skater Kamila Valieva additionally examined optimistic for TMZ in the course of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Valieva was disqualified from the group competitors and handed a four-year doping ban.
Source: www.dailysabah.com