 "World No 2 Iga Swiatek had tested positive for banned substance TMZ in an out-of-competition sample submitted days before the Cincinnati Open. AP")
Another top tennis player has been caught in the doping net recently as world No 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek was handed a one-month ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Wednesday. Swiatek’s case follows that of world No 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner, who had been cleared to compete despite having failed two dope tests in March. The Italian had tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, but was able to avoid a ban after proving the positive tests were the result of a contamination , which was accepted by the ITIA.
Here’s more on the Swiatek case, including the substance that she has tested positive for and the severity of her case:
What is the substance Swiatek had tested positive for?
The Polish tennis star had tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication that is known more commonly as TMZ in an out-of-competition sample submitted on 12 August ahead of the Cincinnati Open. She would be informed of failing the dope test exactly a month later.
How serious is the offence committed by Swiatek?
The ITIA isn’t treating Swiatek’s case as a serious offence, labelling it the “lowest end of the range”. Not only has TMZ been involved in several high-profile doping cases, the agency also ruled that the 23-year-old did not intentionally consume the banned substance. Swiatek was able to convince the ITIA that the failed test was the result of contamination of a non-prescription medicine melatonin that she was taking for jet lag and sleeping problems.
“Once the source of the TMZ had been established, it became clear that this was a highly unusual instance of a contaminated product, which in Poland is a regulated medicine. However, the product does not have the same designation globally, and the fact that a product is a regulated medication in one country cannot of itself be sufficient to avoid any level of fault," ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said.
“Taking into account the nature of the medication, and all the circumstances, it does place that fault at the lowest end of the scale," Moorhouse said. “This case is an important reminder for tennis players of the strict liability nature of the World Anti-Doping Code and the importance of players carefully considering the use of supplements and medications.”
Why did the ITIA take so long to make the announcement on Swiatek’s case?
Swiatek, who had formally accepted the doping violation on Wednesday, had been slapped with a provisional suspension on 22 September, resulting in her having to withdraw from the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open. She would, however, return to competition soon and participate in the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Riyadh and Malaga respectively after appealing against her provisional suspension.
A player can appeal against his/her provisional suspension if the case rests on contamination or is related to a substance of abuse such as cocaine. The ITIA does not disclose details of the the provisional suspension to the public if the player is able to successfully appeal against the suspension within 10 days of being informed of the same.
Sinner was able to lodge successful appeals against both of his failed tests and the provisional suspension had been lifted within days. In Swiatek’s case, however, she had to provide a samples of melatonin, including an unopened pack, to the ITIA with the agency then forwarding the same to a WADA-accredited laboratory in Utah, USA for testing.
While the test results eventually supported Swiatek’s claim of contamination, the process was time-taking compared to that of Sinner.
Swiatek’s month long ban imposed by the ITIA, however, includes the three-week provisional suspension that she has already served, and will be free to compete from 4 December.