World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced Thursday.
The positive test, from an out-of-competition sample in August, was linked to contamination in Swiatek’s melatonin medication, which is sold over the counter in her home country, Poland. Swiatek said she used melatonin to manage jet lag and sleep issues.
Acknowledging no significant fault or negligence on Swiatek's part, the ITIA classified the violation as being at "the lowest end of the range" and offered 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 said in a statement.
Swiatek also forfeited prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test.
Swiatek, who had withdrawn from tournaments in Asia in September citing personal matters and fatigue, described the ordeal as the "worst experience of my life."
She was ranked No. 1 in the world when she failed the test. After skipping the Asian swing, Aryna Sabalenka overtook her in the rankings and ended the year 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 only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low levels of a banned substance I've never heard about before, put everything I've worked so hard for my entire life into question.
"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 at the time. Her provisional suspension was lifted after she provided samples of her melatonin product to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Salt Lake City, which confirmed low doses of TMZ in both opened and sealed containers.
The provisional suspension was lifted on Oct. 4, and the case was forwarded to an independent tribunal.
Notable doping cases
Swiatek is not the first world No. 1 to fail a doping test this year. Italy's Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked men's player, also tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol.
However, Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal ahead 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 players escaping lengthy bans for doping violations, questions have been raised about tennis’s reputation.
"These are not cases of intentional doping. We're dealing with inadvertent breaches of the rules," ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse said 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 played in Cincinnati, where she was the top seed and reached the semifinals. The WTA said she earned nearly $159,000 in prize money at the tournament, which was won by Sabalenka.
Swiatek later competed at the U.S. Open, where she was knocked out in the quarterfinals, and at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she failed to advance from the group stage. She also represented Poland at the Billie Jean King Cup, where her team lost in the semifinals to eventual champions Italy.
The WTA said it "fully supports" the ITIA’s decision and acknowledged Swiatek’s consistent commitment to fair 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 said.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva also tested positive for TMZ during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Valieva was disqualified from the team competition and handed a four-year doping ban.