World No. 2 and French Open champion Iga Swiatek has faced a significant setback as she has accepted a one-month suspension. This comes after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ). The International Tennis Integrity Agency made this announcement on Thursday. It was a shock for the tennis world as Swiatek had been on a remarkable winning streak.

Tennis Star's Doping Controversy and Its Impact

Contamination and Medication Issue

Swiatek tested positive in an out-of-competition sample in August. The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted that this was caused by the contamination of her medication melatonin. Melatonin is a commonly used substance for jet lag and sleep issues, and it was manufactured and sold in Poland. This highlights the importance of proper medication management in the sports world.There was no significant fault or negligence on Swiatek's part. The ITIA offered her a one-month suspension, which she accepted. This suspension will have a significant impact on her upcoming tournaments. She will miss three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving only eight days remaining. In addition, she also forfeits prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test.

The Ordeal and Emotional Toll

Swiatek described the ordeal of testing positive as the "worst experience of my life". In the last 2.5 months, she was subject to strict ITIA proceedings. These proceedings confirmed her innocence, but the experience was still extremely stressful. The only positive doping test in her career, showing an unbelievably low level of a banned substance she had never heard about before, put everything she had worked so hard for her entire life into question.Both Swiatek and her team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. However, now that everything has been carefully explained, she can go back to what she loves most - playing tennis.The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.