WADA To Decide About Possible Appeal Of Iga Swiatek's Doping Case In Coming Days
News
The deadline for the World Anti-Doping Agency to appeal Iga Swiatek's doping case is close, but its review into the matter is still ongoing.
Swiatek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine from an out-of-competition sample submitted in August. She missed the entire Asian swing because of being provisionally suspended from September 12th until October 4th.
The WTA world No. 2 had the provisional suspension lifted after further testing proved melatonin tablets she bought were contaminated with trimetazidine. Swiatek eventually accepted a one-month suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), most of which she had already served provisionally.
Although that outcome and proving the source of the contamination was undoubtedly a relief to Swiatek, she cannot fully relax yet because the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) has the right to appeal the ITIA's decisions.
WADA confirmed to Ubitennis that the governing body is still reviewing Swiatek's case and refused to comment further on the matter while that process remained ongoing.
"WADA has no comment to make about the specifics of the Swiatek case as it remains under review."
That review will not go on much longer, though. If WADA wants to appeal the case, it must do so by Tuesday, January 21st. That leaves just a few days for the governing body to decide whether an appeal is necessary.
While it is impossible to know for sure what will happen, an appeal in Swiatek's case would surprise many. Unless the testing done to prove the melatonin tablets were contaminated was inaccurate, it seems clear the fault lies with the drug manufacturer and not with Swiatek.
However, nothing can be ruled out. WADA might find an element of the ITIA's investigation that they determine was not done correctly or another factor that warrants Swiatek receiving a suspension.
WADA's response to Jannik Sinner's doping case means the Pole will not relax until it is officially confirmed that there will be no appeal in her case. The Agency appealed Sinner's case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Sinner tested positive for the banned substance clostebol at March's Indian Wells Open. After a private five-month investigation, the ITIA determined that he bore no fault after accepting his explanation of how the positive tests occurred.
The ATP world No. 1 explained to the ITIA that his physiotherapist at the time gave him massages after using a spray for a cut finger that contained traces of clostebol. That led to the prohibited substance entering his system.
WADA does not dispute Sinner's story. Instead, the body disagrees with the ITIA's assessment that he bore no fault for that situation occurring and wants a ban between one and two years implemented.
Sinner's CAS appeal hearing will take place on April 16th and 17th. It must be challenging for Sinner to focus on his Australian Open campaign with that saga in the background, but he played well in a third-round triumph against Marcos Giron.
Swiatek has also been in great form in Melbourne despite the ongoing WADA review. The Pole dropped just one game during a masterclass against Emma Raducanu in the third round.
