Swiatek Received Short Doping Ban 'Because She's From Poland' Claim Former No. 1
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A former ATP world No. 1 launched an extraordinary tirade against the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), claiming Simona Halep was punished more than Iga Swiatek because she is Romanian.
Swiatek and Jannik Sinner, who have been No. 1 in the WTA and ATP rankings in 2024, testing positive for banned substances in the same year would be significant news regardless of any other circumstances surrounding the cases.
However, the ITIA's handling of the cases infuriated many players and fans. It raised questions about how transparent the process is and the consistency of how different players are treated.
Sinner twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol at March's Indian Wells Open. After a five-month investigation, the ITIA cleared the 23-year-old of wrongdoing, accepting his explanation of accidental contamination from his physiotherapist.
Many were unhappy that the investigation was kept private until it concluded. That happened because Sinner swiftly located the source of contamination, but some argue all the details should be known regardless.
Sinner's case did not end there, though. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the ITIA's verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. A ruling will be reached sometime in 2025, meaning Sinner must live with that anxiety until then.
Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine from an out-of-competition sample she submitted on August 12th. Exactly a month later, on September 12th, she received a provisional suspension from the ITIA.
The four-time French Open champion successfully appealed the provisional ban, and it was lifted on October 4th after testing confirmed her explanation that a non-prescription medicine had been contaminated with trimetazidine.
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban, most of which she already served while provisionally suspended. The lack of transparency was criticized again because the Pole's case did not become public until she accepted the short ban.
Ilie Nastase, former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, told G4Media that Simona Halep, whose four-year ban for doping was reduced to 11 months upon appeal, received different treatment to Swiatek and Sinner because she is Romanian.
"Well, because she's from Poland, that's why she only got a month. They don't give up, they're not suckers like us. That's why. That's the difference. We're the third world, Poland is in the good world."
"She must have said it wasn't intentional, right? But she got it right? It's ugly. Halep got two years in the first instance, and the Polish woman one month."
"Maybe it scared them that Simona turned the result back to the CAS. But if the Italian wasn't number 1 and he was Romanian, how long do you think he was suspended? Also 2-3 years."
Nastase's stinging criticisms will be welcomed by those like Nick Kyrgios, who has repeatedly criticized the handling of both cases and each of the players. Many feel both high-profile players got preferential treatment.
Critics of that position will argue that Sinner and Swiatek acted within the rules by working within ten days to prove the source of contamination, which is why their cases were kept private.
However, many people's frustration is understandable because of how some players have been treated. For example, Mikael Ymer received an 18-month suspension for missing three doping tests despite never testing positive.
