Nick Kyrgios makes Iga Swiatek ‘immortality’ claim despite past doping criticism
Nick Kyrgios praised Iga Swiatek for achieving “tennis immortality” after her Wimbledon win despite past criticism of her doping case.
Swiatek stormed to her first Wimbledon title last weekend, dropping just one set on her way to the final before a historic 6-0, 6-0 victory over Amanda Anisimova in the championship match.
The Pole is now a six-time Grand Slam champion, and, in the Open Era, only 10 women have won more Grand Slam singles titles than her.
Wimbledon triumph also saw Swiatek complete the ‘Surface Slam’, becoming just the eighth woman to win majors on all three surfaces: grass, hard, and clay.
It was Swiatek’s first Grand Slam title and first tour-level title since the 2024 French Open, and her first since serving a one-month doping ban towards the end of 2024.
The world No 3 tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine ahead of the 2024 Cincinnati Open and was provisionally suspended during the China Open and Wuhan Open.
Swiatek was cleared to return for the WTA Finals, with her provisional suspension kept confidential until it was confirmed in late November that she would serve a further eight-day suspension to complete a one-month ban.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted her claims that the positive test was caused by contaminated melatonin, with Swiatek found to be “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence.”
Swiatek’s case came just two months after the emergence of Jannik Sinner’s case, and again attracted huge attention.
Having repeatedly been critical of Sinner beforehand, Kyrgios was among those to criticise Swiatek, claiming that the Pole and other players needed to stop making “excuses” for positive tests.
In an interview with The i during Wimbledon, Kyrgios claimed it was not a “good look” for Swiatek and Sinner, who would win the men’s title, to both reach the finals, though he claimed he would separate the controversies from their tennis.
“Do I think it’s a good look for the sport that Swiatek and Sinner are in the final at Wimbledon after serving a ban? I don’t think it’s a good look for the sport,” he commented.
“And I think people could agree. But I’m not going to sit there and talk about that [on commentary] in the final. They’ve been playing some incredible tennis.”
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That proved to be the case, with Kyrgios heaping praise on Swiatek after Saturday’s women’s singles final at the All England.
Speaking as a pundit on TNT Sports, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist claimed Swiatek was in the “midst of her prime” and was shaping up to contend for the US Open title later this summer.
He said: “That’s the moment there when you realise you’ve made it to the pinnacle of the sport.
“You win Wimbledon, she’s a multiple Grand Slam champion, achieved tennis immortality, is one of the greats of this generation and still in the midst of her prime.
“We are witnessing one of the greats of the women’s side and today was a dominant performance.
“What does this do for her confidence all year around? Maybe she’s got that confidence to dominate the top of the women’s game.
“Right now, it’s Coco [Gauff], [Aryna], Sabalenka and Iga. Now I put her right at the top for the US Open.”
