The racquet sport, once again in the spotlight, finds itself embroiled in a web of doping issues. This time, it's the turn of women's former world number one, Iga Swiatek. In August, she tested positive for a banned substance (TMZ), incurring a provisional suspension on September 12. However, her successful appeal on September 22 led to the provisional suspension being lifted on October 4, with her ineligibility period ending on December 4. After a thorough investigation, she was found to have "no significant fault or negligence" as the medication she was using (melatonin) was accidentally contaminated.

Reactions from the Tennis World

The tennis world has shown a mixed reaction to this case. Canadian tennis star Denis Shapovalo seemed surprised with the one-month suspension for the five-time Grand Slam champion. Simona Halep recently penned a long note highlighting the difference in treatment. Tara Moore questioned, "HOW WAS SHE ALLOWED TO PLAY WHILST BEING SUSPENDED?" Even former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov called for players who fail drug tests to be banned for life. Nick Kyrgios also looked displeased as he said, "The excuse that we can all use is that we didn't know. Simply didn't know. Professionals at the highest level of sport can now just say 'we didn't know.'"

Expert's Perspective

During an interview with 'Tout un matin,' professor of pharmacology and director of the toxicology laboratory in Garches, Jean-Claude Alvarez, argued that Iga Swiatek is completely innocent. He said, "Iga Swiatek is not guilty of anything! She was only taking melatonin to fall asleep due to jet lag. She was trying to sleep better to improve her results. I don't understand why she was punished with a month's suspension. We shouldn't punish her at all. At least in people's eyes, she would still be innocent." He further explained, "Theoretically, an athlete is responsible for everything that enters his body. But in practice, such an approach is unrealistic as it's impossible to control everything. An athlete would have to eat vegetables from their own garden and eggs from their own farm. It's not possible. An athlete cannot be responsible for everything that enters their body today, especially when we are looking for minimal concentrations in urine. That's why we need to set slightly higher thresholds."

Support from Peers

Iga Swiatek's peers, like Naomi Osaka and Magdalena Frech, have shown their support during this tough time. American ski racer Lindsay Vonn wrote, "We know your character and your fans know it too. We have your back!" Despite the criticism, the Polish tennis star has received some support.

Iga Swiatek's Reaction

Iga Swiatek shared her first reaction to the doping controversy on her IG account. She said, "In the last 2.5 months, I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence. The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low levels of a banned substance I've never heard about before, put everything I've worked so hard for my entire life into question. Both me and my Team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety." She added, "I want to be open with you, even though I know I did nothing wrong. Out of respect for my fans and the public, I'm sharing all the details of this longest and toughest tournament of my career. My biggest hope is that you will stay with me."