Iga Swiatek Reveals Anti-Doping Anxiety In Tennis
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has been through a bunch since her doping scandal came to fruition last year. The reigning French Open champion believes this storyline has impacted her as she hopes to put the past behind her and focus on her career. The former World No. 1 claims that she has been through the worst after failing the doping test last year.
Swiatek and Jannik Sinner were the biggest tennis stars subject to the doping scandal. However, their large profile had advantages as they could negotiate with the governing bodies and get a minimal doping ban. Sinner is under a three-month doping suspension, which lasts until May 4. Swiatek was banned for a month in December last year.
What Did Swiatek Say?
Iga Swiatek was speaking at the pre-tournament press conference at the Madrid Open, where she is the defending champion. “Honestly, after a couple of years, you think about this all the time. It causes a bit of anxiety. I’m not just talking about myself, because in a way, I’ve gotten used to the system, and I’ve been through the worst, and I was able to come back and sort it out, which makes me feel like nothing can stop me.” Swiatek said, as reported by Punto de Break.
“I also talk about other players: it’s not easy, the whole system is very tough. I didn’t have much control over what happened to me, and I can imagine that other players feel that fear that it could happen to them. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything about giving your location and what needs to be done at the system level. Every day, while we travel, we have to literally say where we are. If we forget, we might have a ‘not present‘, and with three misses, you get penalized. There’s a lot of pressure with that, and it’s not easy to handle, but it is what it is.” Swiatek added.
Swiatek’s words correspond with the quotes of Ons Jabeur and Aryna Sabalenka. The two WTA stars claim that everything they eat is under a microscope, which adds to the suspense. Jabeur even said that she was horrified by the morning doorbells regarding the doping tests.
The Sinner-Swiatek tragedy
Sinner was the first to raise alarm bells about his doping scandal. The World No. 1 tested positive for clostebol in March last year during the Indian Wells tournament. As a consequence, the ATP decided to deduct his ranking points and prize money from that tournament. Despite being criticized massively, Sinner played without penalty throughout 2024 and finished the season as World No. 1. However, the Italian accepted a three-month suspension as part of the agreement with WADA.
On the other hand, Swiatek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. This is a sleeping-assistance substance the Polish player used during jet lag. As a consequence, she was banned by the WTA Tour for a month in December. Despite the bans, both players are still under scrutiny for getting ‘benefited’ by the system.
The Effects On Performances
Perhaps the doping scandal has had a lasting effect on Swiatek’s performances, as she is under a 10-month trophy drought. The last time the Pole won a WTA title was at Roland Garros last year, her fifth Grand Slam triumph. Since then, Swiatek hasn’t even made it to a final. One of those losses came at the Paris Olympics, where she lost in the semifinals to Qinwen Zheng and had to settle for a bronze medal.
This year, Swiatek is one of the few top 10 players yet to win a title. She started the season playing in the semifinals of the Australian Open. However, despite having a match point, she lost agonizingly to eventual champion Madison Keys. Other notable losses include the one against Alexandra Eala in the Miami Open, who became the first Filipino player to advance to the tournament’s quarterfinals.
