Iga Swiatek opens up on failed drug test and insists Simona Halep case is different
Iga Swiatek has given her most detailed interview on her failed drug test, as she admitted there was ‘a lot of crying’ after she received an email confirming the news.
The five-time Grand Slam champion was ranked world No 1 when she provided a sample containing the angina medication trimetazidine in an out-of-competition test on August 12.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted Swiatek’s explanation that the failed test was caused by contamination of the regulated non-prescription medication melatonin, manufactured and sold in Poland, which Swiatek took for jet lag and sleep issues.
Swiatek’s level of fault was therefore considered to be at the lowest end of the range for ‘no significant fault or negligence’.
She accepted a one-month suspension and now she has revealed the emotions she has lived through over the last few months in an interview with TVN24.
Swiatek revealed how she was informed about the failed drug test, with the message that rocked her world coming a huge shock.
“It was an email. We get notifications by email and text when there’s a problem or when we need to complete something in the documents,” she stated.
“I opened this message, thinking it was one of those automatic notifications that players get when they need to do something .
“But this time, it turned out the email was much more serious. I couldn’t even finish reading it because I was already in tears.
“My managers said my reaction was like someone had died or something serious had happened to my health I’m glad I wasn’t alone because I could give them my phone and show them what had happened…”
“My reaction was very intense,” said Swiatek. “It was a mix of confusion and panic. There was a lot of crying.”
Swiatek went on to explain her emotions as she tried to understand how she had tested positive, with the sleeping she took on the approved list of supplements.
“I thought it might be a mistake,” said the Polish star. “I really didn’t understand what was happening. The name of the substance itself was completely unfamiliar to me, I had never heard of its origin. I didn’t think much, I was just overwhelmed with emotions.”
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When asked how she felt to accept a ban for the failed test she stated that was a tough decision.
“I would have preferred it to say ‘innocent,’ but I admit, for me, it’s just paperwork and bureaucracy,” she stated. “What mattered most to me was that I could start the new season with a clean slate and just focus on playing.
“Since I got the information that my suspension would end in just over a week, I’ve kind of accepted the situation. The fact that I received such a penalty, that’s just formalities. They had to follow their rules because it’s not like I was judged by a person; the procedures.”
She was also asked how her case compared to those of Jannik Sinner and Simona Halep, with two players who have been ranked as world No 1 also rocked by failed drug tests in the last couple of years.
“I know that people automatically need to compare such situations to others that have happened before, but the truth is that each of these cases is completely different,” she added.
“The process of proving innocence will also vary accordingly. It’s hard to compare me to Sinner or Halep because each of us is dealing with a different issue.
“I think that’s more of a question for ITIA than for the player. My fate, just like others’, was in their hands, and they decide how each case unfolds.
“I trust that this process is objective, that everything is done according to the rules, and that no one judges a player either way based on their ranking think that’s the question for ITIA.”
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