Iga Swiatek’s doping ban: ‘Corruption is everywhere’ comment made by former world No 3
Former world No 3 Nikolay Davydenko has weighed in on Iga Swiatek’s ban from tennis for failing a doping test.
The 21-time ATP titlist commented that “corruption is everywhere”, but defended Swiatek by asserting “you will not become number one in the world thanks to doping.”
Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned metabolic agent, on August 12 ahead of the Cincinnati Open.
On November 28, it was announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that Swiatek had received a one-month suspension as it was deemed she carried “no significant fault or negligence.”
The five-time Grand Slam champion also had to forfeit the 390 ranking points and $159,000 she earned for reaching the semi-finals in Cincinnati.
The ITIA accepted Swiatek’s explanation that the substance entered her body due to the contamination of non-prescription medication she had been using for jet lag and sleep issues.
The 23-year-old Pole was provisionally suspended from September 12 to October 4, meaning she had already served 22 days of her ban on the day the news emerged. She was forced to miss WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan during the suspension period.
The world No 2 returned to action at the WTA Finals in Riyadh at the start of November before ending her season at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga. Swiatek is now free to play as she has served the month’s suspension.
