(AP Photograph/Thibault Camus, File)
Five-time Grand Slam tennis champion Iga Swiatek prevalent a one-month suspension after trying out sure for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ), the World Tennis Integrity Company (ITIA) announced Thursday.
Swiatek, however, continues the end result used to be an accidental illness from melatonin she took to control jet lag.
The suspension stems from an out-of-competitors test in August, with Swiatek admitting to the anti-doping violation earlier this week. The ITIA ruled her fault as “at the lowest finish of the range for no vital fault or negligence.”
Swiatek has already served nearly all of her suspension, which began with a provisional ban on September 12. This led to her to miss three tournaments in Asia, together with the Korea Open, Wuhan Open, and China Open—originally noted as absences for “private causes.” She additionally forfeited $158,944 in prize money earned from her semifinal look on the Cincinnati Open in August.
Swiatek described the ordeal as the “worst experience of my life,” sharing her viewpoint in an emotional Instagram post.
“In the closing 2½ months, I was topic to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence,” she said. “The only positive doping test in my occupation, exhibiting unbelievably low ranges of a banned substance I’ve never heard about before, put everything I’ve labored so laborious for my whole life into question.”
The provisional suspension dropped Swiatek from the No. 1 world ranking, a position she had held for a lot of the prior two seasons, to No. 2 at the back of Aryna Sabalenka.
Despite the setback, she brought: “Now the whole lot has been moderately explained, and with a easy slate, I can return to what I like most.”
Swiatek shall be eligible to come to competitors on Monday.
The submit Prime Tennis Player Suspended From Playing After Failed Drug Check, Loses Quantity One Ranking first regarded on Mediaite.