Iga Swiatek handed one-month ban after doping violation
Tennis has been stunned by another doping case involving one of its most high-profile players after it was revealed Iga Swiatek has been given a one-month suspension. The Pole was ranked world number one when she provided a sample containing the angina medication trimetazidine in an out-of-competition test on August 12. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the player's explanation that contaminated medication was the cause of the positive test, with a statement reading: "The ITIA accepted that the positive test was caused by the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin), manufactured and sold in Poland that the player had been taking for jet lag and sleep issues, and that the violation was therefore not intentional." The news comes only three months after it was revealed men's world number one Jannik Sinner had failed two doping tests in March but was deemed not to be at fault and was not suspended - although that has been appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Swiatek was provisionally suspended from September 22 until October 4 but, as with Sinner's even briefer bans, that was not made public, with the three tournaments the 23-year-old missed attributed to personal matters and a change of coach. The ITIA said: "As the player appealed the provisional suspension within 10 days of the notice and this appeal was successful, in line with the TADP (Tennis Anti-Doping Programme) rules, it was therefore not publicly disclosed." Swiatek must serve an additional eight days to December 4 to make up the month, while she also forfeits her prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test and where she reached the semi-finals.
