In a surprising turn of events, tennis sensation Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. 😲 The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that the World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample taken in August.
Swiatek, 23, explained that the positive test was due to contamination of her melatonin medication, which she had been using to combat jet lag and sleep issues. The melatonin was purchased over the counter in her native Poland, and both opened and sealed containers were found to contain low doses of TMZ.
Acknowledging the situation, the ITIA accepted that there was no significant fault or negligence on Swiatek's part. Considering this, they ruled the offense at \"the lowest end of the range\" and offered her a one-month suspension, which she accepted.
\"The last two and a half months have been the worst experience of my life,\" Swiatek shared on Instagram. \"Everything I've worked so hard for was put into question. But now, with everything carefully explained, I can go back to what I love most.\"
Swiatek was provisionally suspended from September 12 to October 4, missing three tournaments and forfeiting prize money from the Cincinnati Open. During this period, Aryna Sabalenka overtook her in the world rankings, ending the year as World No. 1.
With the provisional suspension lifted on October 4, Swiatek is now looking forward to returning to the court and continuing her passion for tennis. 🎾
Reference(s):
Swiatek accepts one-month ban after failing doping test, says ITIA
cgtn.com
