Iga Swiatek 'was a total mess' after positive doping test as she admits 'integrity' fears - 'I was crying for two weeks'
Updated 30/07/2025 at 07:38 GMT+1
Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek said she feared for her integrity after testing positive for banned substance trimetazidine in August 2024. Swiatek served a one-month ban in November and December last year, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency ultimately deemed her intake "not intentional" due to a "contamination" of melatonin, which she had used to aid her sleep.
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Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek revealed fears that her integrity would suffer after testing positive for a banned substance in August last year.
Swiatek served a one-month suspension in November and December after a doping test revealed the presence of trimetazidine.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), however, found the positive test stemmed from "the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin)", which Swiatek used to help against jet lag and sleeping issues, deeming her intake not intentional.
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Swiatek explained the "confusing" moment she was informed of the positive test.
"We met in the evening with my whole team and the doctor, and we first called with a lawyer, I hired him over the phone basically, it was all very confusing," Swiatek said.
"Honestly, I was a total mess, I was basically joking, was being sarcastic, because I just had to do something to keep it together.
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"When everything came out, I was basically crying for two weeks, couldn’t practice, because I felt that tennis did this to me and that I’m in this place because of tennis.
"I felt like I was losing my integrity, like no one is going to believe me that I didn’t do anything wrong and that the whole world would turn their backs on me and that every accomplishment that I had would start to disappear."
Swiatek, winner of six Grand Slam titles, added: "We started testing all of my substances and medicines that I take, and did the research, but, for most of the days, I tried to block it out."
The 24-year-old's suspension saw her miss the Asian hard-court swing last year, citing personal reasons as she was absent from the Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open.
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Swiatek said she learned of the positive test upon changing locations during a photo shoot in Warsaw.
"I went on my email and I saw an email from this portal, and I thought it was just a reminder to do my whereabouts or something," Swiatek said.
"I didn’t even read it because I started crying, and my agents who were at the shoot thought that someone had died.
"I gave my manager the phone and she read everything. They were, obviously, very confused because no one knows what to do in a situation like that.
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"I had no idea if I should even continue the shoot. My face was all red, I was crying for about 40 minutes, but then – on the other hand – I knew that I couldn’t really tell them about it. So I just continued for the next few hours."
Swiatek had held the No. 1 perch in the women's rankings for 125 weeks before she was usurped by Aryna Sabalenka, and dropped to world No. 5 ahead of the French Open this year.
However, the Pole claimed her maiden Wimbledon title to soar back up to No. 3, and will now target a seventh Grand Slam title at the US Open, which begins on August 24.
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