Iga Swiatek, the world's second-ranked tennis player, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine TMZ, a banned heart medication. The International Tennis Integrity Agency ITIA confirmed the decision on Thursday, stating that Swiatek's positive test stemmed from unintentional consumption of the substance, which was found in contaminated melatonin tablets she had used to address jet lag and sleep issues.
The violation was flagged from a sample collected in August 2024, when Swiatek was still ranked world number one. The ITIA concluded that the fault was at the lowest level, as Swiatek's ingestion of the banned substance was unintentional, caused by contamination in the melatonin supplements.
In a social media statement, Swiatek described the ordeal as "the worst experience of my life," though she expressed relief that her innocence had been confirmed. Despite the suspension, the ITIA acknowledged the contamination as highly unusual. Swiatek was provisionally suspended from September 22 to October 4, missing three tournaments during that period. The suspension leaves her with eight more days to serve. Additionally, she will forfeit the prize money she earned at the Cincinnati Open, where she finished as the runner-up.
Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, highlighted that this case is a rare instance of a contaminated product and stressed the importance of athletes ensuring the safety of all supplements and medications they use.
