Iga Swiatek is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The five-time Grand Slam champion received a one-month suspension after an out-of-competition sample in August 2024 tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a substance classified as a heart medication.
ITIA classified Swiatek's doping as 'unintentional'
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acknowledged that her positive result was likely due to contamination from a regulated non-prescribed medication, melatonin, which she had taken to help with jet lag and sleep issues. As a result, her level of fault was assessed to be minimal, reflecting no significant fault or negligence on her part.
Iga Swiatek has shared that over the past two and a half months, she faced strict ITIA proceedings, which ultimately confirmed her innocence in this complex situation. After being provisionally suspended since September 12, she successfully appealed the decision, though this resulted in her missing three tournaments. Following the lifting of her provisional suspension on October 4, Iga looks forward to returning to competition, with her period of ineligibility set to conclude on December 4.
Simona Halep on ITIA's double standards
Former World Number One, Simona Halep, made a statement addressing the preferential treatment that seems to be given to the World Number 2. After testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open, Halep received a nine-month suspension, an outcome that left her feeling frustrated and disheartened. She took the opportunity to express her gratitude to those who have supported her throughout her career, even amid these challenging times. Notably, Halep has only participated in two matches in 2024, both resulting in losses.
Her Instagram story read :-
“I’m sitting and trying to understand, but it’s really impossible for me to understand something like this. I stand and ask myself, why is there such a big difference in treatment and judgment? I can’t find and I don’t think there can be a logical answer. It can only be bad will from ITIA, the organization that has done absolutely everything to destroy me despite the evidence,” Simona wrote.
“I really wanted to destroy the last years of my career, I wanted something that I could never have imagined would be wanted. I always believed in good, I believed in fairness, I believed in goodness. It was painful, is painful and maybe the injustice that was done to me will always be painful. How is it possible that in identical cases happening around the same time ITIA to have completely different approaches to my detriment. How could I accept that the WTA and the players council did not want to return me the ranking that I deserved?”
“I lost two years of my career, I lost many nights when I couldn’t sleep, thoughts, anxiety, questions without answers… but I won justice. It turned out that it was a contamination and that the biological passport was a pure invention. And I won something else, my soul remained clean!! I feel disappointed, I feel mad, I feel frustrated, but I do not feel evil even now. I am grateful for the support and unconditional love of those who have been by my side every day. THANK YOU!”
“I also received love because those who offered me love in those moments really knew me! Perhaps this is the biggest victory! As we know well that every morning the sun rises for everyone, but it’s good to rise finding yourself with a flawless soul! And that’s how I am, packed and proud of what I am!“
/sportsinfo/media/member_avatars/image 59.png)
Follow Us/sportsinfo/media/media_files/2024/11/29/fiJNhvBVc9jV84YQKYKG.jpeg)