Iga Swiatek explains the 'truth' behind why her doping case shouldn't be compared to Jannik Sinner & Simona Halep's
Iga Swiatek has given her first reaction to her doping charge and suspension. The Pole responded to those comparing her case with Jannik Sinner and Simona Halep, opining that each case is different and each player deals with them differently.
Swiatek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample in late August and was provisionally suspended on September 12. The Pole appealed the decision to the International Tennis Integrity Agency and accepted the offense. Her provisional suspension ended on October 4, and she missed three big tournaments.
ITIA acknowledged that Swiatek's positive case was unintentional, and the World No. 2 accepted a one-month suspension that ended in early December. Swiatek's case sent shockwaves across the tennis world, with fans and experts weighing in. Many immediately compared her case to those involving ATP World No. 1 Sinner and former WTA World No. 1 Halep.
Speaking to Anita Werner in "Fakty po Faktach" on TVN24, Iga Swiatek stated that no two doping cases are identical. While she understood the comparisons between her case and her peers, she stressed that every player deals and struggles with these situations differently.
"I know that people need to automatically compare such situations to others that have already happened, but the truth is that each of these cases is completely different. And the process of proving innocence will also be different," Iga Swiatek said. "It's hard to compare me to Sinner, to Halep, to Kamil Majchrzak, because each of us is struggling with a different problem."
The five-time Grand Slam champion professed faith in ITIA and its process and emphasized that every player is judged under the same rules. She also dispelled rumors of preferential treatment for higher-ranked players.
"I think this is a question more for ITIA than for the player. My fate, just like the fates of others, was in their hands and they decide how each case will turn out," Iga Swiatek added. "I trust that this process is objective, that everything is done according to the regulations and no one judges a player this way or that way because of his position. But whether it is really like that, I think this is a question for ITIA."
Jannik Sinner received an anti-doping sanction in August after testing positive for the banned substance Clostebol in two samples in March. ITIA adjudged that the Italian was not at fault for the substance entering his system and let him off with a monetary fine and ranking points penalty.
Simona Halep tested positive for the banned drug Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open and was initially suspended for four years. However, after a successful appeal, her suspension was reduced to nine months, and she returned to the tour in March 2024.
Simona Halep calls out secrecy in Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner's doping case
Simona Halep has been outspoken about Iga Swiatek's doping case and called out the allegedly favorable treatment given to the Pole in an interview with the Telegraph. The Romanian found it unfair that Swiatek and Jannik Sinner's cases were kept under wraps for months and only came to light after they had been concluded while her case was immediately announced to the public.
Sinner tested positive in March 2024 and was provisionally banned. However, his case was not announced until August 2024. Swiatek's case was made public in late November despite her positive test in August.
"What I believe is not fair, either, is that they announced my case straight away, and I got all the heat from the press, and for these two players they kept it secret, and they just said about the case when everything was done, so it's very weird," Halep said.
After testing positive for doping in September 2022, Halep endured a public appeal process for her case. Her four-year suspension sentence was reduced to nine months after she took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The former Wimbledon champion returned to the tour at the 2024 Miami Open.