Jessica Pegula didn’t want to accuse Iga Swiatek of anything and noted that the Pole’s explanation “made sense” but also admitted that she has certain questions over how certain doping cases are handled.
After the five-time Grand Slam champion’s sample from August came back as positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), the Pole was handed a provisional suspension on September 12th. However, the ITIA didn’t announce it at the time so it was a silent ban.
In the next few weeks, Swiatek was able to determine and prove that her positive doping test was a result of her melatonin pills being contaminated. The lab analysis and additional tests proved that everything was consistent with what the Pole was saying so her provisional suspension was ended.
Ultimately, the world No. 2 accepted a symbolic one-month ban – which officially ended on December 4th.
“I don’t know, it seems like they investigated it and she had her reasoning. I mean you have to trust that they’re doing their job—that they’re coming to the right conclusion,” Pegula said when speaking to reporters in New York this week.
Jessica Pegula and Iga Swiatek© YouTube screenshot
Pegula wonders one thing
When Jannik Sinner failed two doping tests in March, no one knew about it and no one had an idea that he was facing an investigation. In August, the ITIA announced the news and also said that the ATP world No. 1 would not get suspended after he proved that he “bore no fault or negligence” for what happened. Then, the ITIA also handled the Swiatek case in silence.
In the past, there were also some other cases when a player would fail a doping test over a contaminated product but would get a bigger suspension. That’s one thing that still baffles Pegula, although she was provided certain explanations.
“I think it’s just frustrating for people on the outside—or even for some players—that it just seems so hit or miss with how people get punished. I’ve been explained why it happens. But at the same time it’s like ‘Yeah, but how does this vary so deeply?’ And I think that can be frustrating. But how it was explained to me, it seems pretty cut and dried almost. And the explanation made sense,” the 2024 US Open runner-up added.
Pegula: Swiatek still got sanctioned…
Just before the Pole was informed about a positive doping test, she was preparing to kick off her Asian swing in Seoul in a couple of days. But those plans were cut short due to her provisional suspension as she ended up missing Seoul and also back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan.
While Swiatek was out of action, Aryna Sabalenka played outstanding and overthrew the 23-year-old from the world No. 1 spot.
Looking from that perspective, the Polish tennis star paid a certain price for failing a doping test. But on the other side, she was lucky enough to complete her one-month suspension during the preseason – which means she will be able to start her 2025 season in time.
“You’re kind of wondering how that works when you’re not competing how it doesn’t seem to affect anything so it’s really not much of a punishment. But I mean she did miss the Asian swing and that also may have hurt her chances for the year-end No. 1, which is obviously massive for her. Money-wise and sponsors and being able to have that No. 1 spot hurt too. So I’m sure she didn’t want to miss those,” Pegula said.
Meanwhile in her own statement that came after the ITIA’s, Swiatek said she was “shocked” and didn’t even know what TMZ was.
“I was shocked and this whole situation made me very anxious. At first I couldn’t understand how that was even possible and where it had come from. It turns out testing revealed historically lowest levels of trimetazidine, a substance I’ve never heard about before. I don’t think I even knew it existed. I have never encountered it, nor did people around me,” the Pole said in an Instagram video.
Also, Swiatek claimed only small traces of the substance were found in her system.
“The tests showed that melatonin [which] I’ve been using for a long time – the batch I had on me and had used before Cincinnati – was contaminated during manufacturing. It was a shock to hear, but it also explained a lot, and locating the source is key in these cases, which is why after finding out, we had to prove that the medication was in fact contaminated,” she added.
In that same video, Swiatek pleaded to fans to accept her explanation and don’t change their opinions about her.
Tennis World USA