Polish tennis star Iga Swiątek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday.
Five-time Grand Slam winner Świątek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
The ITIA said it found that “Świątek’s level of fault was considered to be at the lower end of the range for “no significant fault or negligence”.
“The ITIA recognized that the positive test was due to contamination of a regulated non-prescription medicine (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland, which the player was taking for jet lag and sleep problems, and that the violation was therefore not intentional”, the ITIA. said in Thursday’s statement.
The ITIA offered Świątek a suspension on November 27, which she accepted. “The player was provisionally suspended from September 22 to October 4, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving eight days remaining.
“In addition, the player also loses prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test,” ITIA added.
Trimetazidine is listed as a “metabolic modulator” and its use by athletes is prohibited, both in and out of competition. Although it does not increase heart rate, unlike other performance-enhancing drugs classified as stimulants, trimetazidine is thought to help with endurance during physical activity.
A spokesperson for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in a statement to CNN: “As it does with all cases, WADA will carefully review this ITIA decision and reserves the right to appeal. with the Court of Arbitration for Sports, if applicable.
The No. 2 ranked tennis player said she was shocked by the positive test.
“It was a big blow for me, I was shocked and the whole situation made me very anxious. At first I didn’t understand how this was possible and where it came from,” Świątek said in a video posted on social media THURSDAY.
The 23-year-old said she immediately cooperated with ITIA and began conducting tests on nutritional supplements and drugs. These tests revealed that the melatonin was contaminated and Świątek says she takes it to help her sleep.
“This experience, the most difficult of my life so far, taught me a lot,” added the current Roland-Garros champion.
“All of this will definitely stay with me for the rest of my life, it took a lot of strength for me to return to training after this situation almost broke my heart. So there were a lot of tears and a lot of sleepless nights. The worst part was the uncertainty.
Świątek concluded the video by asking her fans to continue supporting her.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said it fully supports the former world number one.
“The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. Iga has always demonstrated a strong commitment to fair play and respecting the principles of clean sport, and this unfortunate incident highlights the challenges athletes face in the use of medications and supplements,” said the WTA. said in a statement THURSDAY.
“The WTA remains steadfast in its support of clean sport and the rigorous processes that protect the integrity of competition.
“We also emphasize that athletes must take every precaution to check the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”
Świątek has won four French Open titles in his career so far, as well as the US Open in 2022.
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