Coco Gauff says if she thinks Iga Swiatek’s performance on court has been negatively impacted by her doping case
Coco Gauff says if she thinks Iga Swiatek’s tennis has been impacted by her doping case.
The Pole has endured a difficult few months since winning her fourth French Open title in June.
Excluding the bronze medal she won at the Paris Olympics in August, the 23-year-old has not won a title since and she lost the number one ranking.
But Swiatek’s worst moment of 2024 came when she tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine, which has received a divided response from those in the tennis world.
Does Coco Gauff think Iga Swiatek tennis has been impacted by her doping case?
Following her positive drug test Iga Swiatek was given a one-month suspension that lasted from September 12 to October 4, though she successfully appealed the verdict.
This forced Swiatek to miss three tournaments across the Asian swing, which cost her the number one ranking, as Aryna Sabalenka reached the top of the rankings after winning the Wuhan Open.
Coco Gauff has beaten Swiatek twice since she returned from her doping suspension, the American believes she did not take a banned substance intentionally and her on-court performances have not been impacted.
“No. I mean, I wouldn’t say she’s dropped her confidence,” Gauff told reporters. “For me, I don’t know her personally well, but just from the interactions that we’ve had, I definitely don’t think anything she did was intentional.
“I feel like I don’t think she was maybe — I mean, like I found out with the rest of the world. I don’t think she is not confident in herself. She’s playing great tennis.
