Iga Swiatek Issued One-Month Suspension After Testing Positive for Banned Substance

The World No. 2's suspension is almost over as she served part of it in September.

Iga Swiatek returns a ball during the 2024 U.S. Open. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced on Thursday that World No. 2 player Iga Swiatek will face a one-month suspension following a positive test for a banned substance called trimetazidine, which contaminated her melatonin that she was taking regularly. She said it was "unintentional."

Because the positive test was from contamination, the ITIA said Swiatek's result was "at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence."

The suspension is already almost over as she previously served part of it from Sept. 12 to Oct. 4, when she missed three tournaments. Swiatek forfeited $158,944 from the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semifinals, because it was the first tournament she played after the positive test. She will be cleared to play as early as Monday, although the WTA is currently in its season pause.

Swiatek posted an Instagram video on Thursday, detailing the "worst experience" of her life going through the ITIA proceedings.

"In the last 2 1/2 months, I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence," Swiatek said. "The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low level 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."

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A post shared by Iga Świątek (@iga.swiatek)

The WTA released a statement on Thursday expressing its full support behind Swiatek.

"The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time," the statement read. "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."

Statement from the WTA:

The WTA acknowledges the decision by the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) – which administers the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP) – in issuing a one-month suspension to Iga Swiatek, following the identification of a contaminated…

— wta (@WTA) November 28, 2024

Since her positive test, Swiatek only competed in the Cincinnati Open, the U.S. Open and, most recently, the WTA Finals. It sounds like she is ready for a clean slate to begin the 2025 season.

Swiatek is a five-time major champion, with her most recent title coming from the 2024 French Open. She's won four of those titles in Paris, with her fifth from the U.S. Open in 2022.

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