Swiatek defends herself after her positive doping test: "I have fought the toughest battle of my life"

Mónica Barberán Munera | 28 Nov 2024 | 17.54

Iga Swiatek 2024. Photo: @igaswiatek

Streaming ATP Halle MD live tennis

🎾 Etcheverry/Kecmanovic vs Schnaitter/Wallner

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Watch the match on Bet365

The tennis world was shocked by the latest news coming from the ITIA. Iga Swiatek was suspended after testing positive for a prohibited substance last August. The then world number 1 was provisionally suspended for almost a month until she was able to prove her innocence by having been contaminated by a regulated medication she was taking to sleep (melatonin). Today the situation has come to light, and Swiatek has wanted to speak very openly about the most significant case of her life. In a video shared on her social media, the current number 2 in the ranking explains how the events unfolded and how she felt during the worst chapter of her career and life.

Swiatek's Version

"Hello everyone. Today I want to share with you a very difficult issue that I couldn't talk about for the last 2 and a half months, but now I can, so I hope this video explains everything. I want to be transparent with you and for you to understand what has happened to me recently. On September 12th, I found out that the result of my anti-doping test was positive, one I took on August 12th, before the Cincinnati tournament. This was a huge blow to me; I was in shock, and this whole situation caused me a lot of anxiety. At first, I couldn't understand how this could be possible or where it came from. Apparently, the test revealed very low levels of trimetazidine, a substance I had never heard of before and probably didn't even know existed. I had never had contact with it, neither had the people around me. So I felt a great sense of injustice, and the first weeks were very chaotic.

We immediately started to react and act in accordance with what the ITIA told us. The detected concentration, which was extremely low, suggested (or rather was evident) that either the sample was contaminated or a supplement or medication I was taking was contaminated. That's why we focused on studying all the foods and medicines I take. The result of these tests showed that the melatonin I had been using for a long time, the batch I had at that time and had used before the Cincinnati tournament, was contaminated during its production. It was a big shock to hear, but it also explained a lot because finding the source in situations like this is crucial. After finding the source, we had to prove that this medication was contaminated. Melatonin is a very necessary medication for me due to all my travels, jet lag, work-related stress, and sometimes I wouldn't be able to sleep without it.

After finding the source, we needed time for the whole matter to conclude, and that's what's happening now. On September 12th, I was provisionally suspended, so I couldn't participate in tournaments in Asia or defend my ranking. It's clearly a consequence of this situation, but it's not the most important issue. The most important thing for me was to prove my innocence. Now that everything is coming to an end, I have been given a symbolic one-month suspension. I have already served 22 days, with eight more to go. That means I can start the season with a clean slate and focus on what I have always done, just playing tennis. This experience is the toughest of my life, but it has taught me a lot. Returning to play and compete in the WTA Finals and the BJKC gave me many positive emotions and allowed me to enjoy my game again.

All of this will stay with me for the rest of my life; it took a lot of strength to resume training after this situation that nearly broke my heart. There were many tears and many sleepless nights. The worst part of this was the uncertainty: I didn't know what would happen to my career, how the situation would end, or if I could continue playing tennis. That's why I am very grateful to my family and my team, to everyone who stood by my side no matter what had happened. From the beginning, everyone came together to help me find the source of this, and for that, I will always be very grateful. I admit this situation hit me hard because all my life I strived to have a career that could be an example for future generations. A fair career that would demonstrate that I have always been fair, that would reflect all the values athletes should have.

I feel like this situation could undermine the image I have been building for years. That's why I hope you understand what happened, that you understand I had no control over this and that I couldn't do anything to prevent this unfortunate event. I hope you stand by my side and continue supporting me because I'm not sure that without my fans, I can find the strength to move forward and keep fighting. I have now fought the toughest battle of my life, and I hope you stay with me and support me."

Iga Świątek... 💬

🎬 Iga Świątek | Instagram | #czasnatenis pic.twitter.com/K8Rozc0O3l
— Z kortu - informacje tenisowe | Tennis news (@z_kortu) November 28, 2024