Iga Swiatek doping ban: ‘Why is no one seriously looking into corruption?’

The integrity of tennis’ top organisations has once again been questioned following Iga Swiatek’s ban following a positive doping test.

Just a few months after the sport was stunned when it was announced that ATP No 1 Jannik Sinner had twice tested positive for clostebol, five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek has now also failed a drugs test.

Back in August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that Sinner had been cleared as they found “no fault or negligence” on the Italian’s part with no ban imposed.

But the ATP and ITIA both came under fire as Sinner tested positive in March, but the news was only made public a few months later while several players who tested positive in the past were hit with provisional bans.

And now it has been announced that Swiatek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in August and was handed a one-month ban. Once again it was found that the player bore no significant fault or negligence.

The WTA has issued a response to say they back Swiatek, stating in a press release: “The WTA fully supports Iga during this difficult time. 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.

“The WTA remains steadfast in our support for a clean sport and the rigorous processes that protect the integrity of competition. We also emphasize that athletes must take every precaution to verify the safety and compliance of all products they use, as even unintentional exposure to prohibited substances can have significant consequences.”

But the Executive Director of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), Ahmad Nassar, is far from impressed with the way the situation and doping processes in general are being handled.

The PTPA is tennis great Novak Djokovic’s brainchild with the association launched in 2019, and Nassar believes the “unreasonable standards and burdens” are being placed on players.

“I’m sorry. This was not an ‘unfortunate incident.’ A real unfortunate incident is something you cannot control. Tennis can – and should! – no, must! – control its own anti-doping process,” he wrote on X.

“Athletes indeed face ‘challenges.’ Like, the weather. And their opponents. But the messy, tennis-establishment imposed anti-doping process is not some ”challenge’ athletes must overcome. That’s a cop-out.

“What ‘precaution’ should Iga have taken here? Pre-test melatonin on the minuscule chance it was contaminated? Come on. Perhaps the tours which claim to ‘fully support’ players should offer pre-tested common medications, like melatonin, to all players? What’s that? Sounds unreasonable? Oh ok – then why do we place even more unreasonable standards and burdens on individual athletes???”

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Canadian player Denis Shapovalov wasn’t afraid to share his opinions after the Sinner news and he was once again unimpressed with the suspension handed to Swiatek.

“1 month ban eh,” Shapovalov, whose biggest gripe is that some players are handed lengthy bans only be cleared later while others like Sinner receive no bans, wrote.

But British player Tara Moore was the most critical as she missed nearly two years of action after failing a doping test in 2022. She fought her suspension and it was later ruled that she tested positive after eating contaminated meat in South America.

She was only cleared in December 2023 and feels it is time to “look into the corruption of the organisations that govern us”.

“I took 19 months off as I had to make a ‘change to my team’ too guys,” she wrote. “Let’s not forget, mine was also contamination, and 2 other people also tested positive yet ITIA are appealing my case. ♀️ why is no one seriously looking into the corruption of the organisations that govern us?”