Iga Swiatek Receives One-Month Doping Ban

Iga Swiatek, the world No. 2 in women's tennis and five-time Grand Slam champion, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), which was found in contaminated melatonin she took for jet lag. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that her positive test was unintentional, determining her fault level to be at the lowest end of negligence. Swiatek's provisional suspension began on September 22, 2024, and she has served 22 days of her ban, allowing her to return to competition on December 4, 2024. This incident follows a similar case involving Jannik Sinner, raising concerns about the handling of doping cases in tennis. Swiatek expressed her distress over the situation, calling it the worst experience of her life, and is eager to move past it as she prepares for the upcoming Australian Open. Despite the ban, she forfeited nearly $159,000 in prize money from the Cincinnati Open but remains determined to return to the sport she loves.