MELBOURNE, Australia — Iga Swiatek, who describes herself as a “control freak,” is taking extra measures to safeguard her medicine supplies due to a doping incident she recently called “probably, like, the worst time in my life.” Swiatek’s experience has prompted her to hold onto additional samples of the medications she uses, ensuring she is prepared in case further testing is required.
Jannik Sinner, another top player and the reigning champion at the upcoming Australian Open, also faces challenges related to a prior doping case. He revealed ahead of the tournament that he is still waiting for details on when the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal concerning his earlier exoneration would be addressed in court. Speaking at a news conference, Sinner expressed, “I know exactly as much as you guys know,” highlighting the uncertainty surrounding his situation. Despite his confidence in the ultimate resolution, the 23-year-old acknowledged that the issue weighs on his mind as the first Grand Slam event of the year approaches.
Both Sinner and Swiatek managed to keep the details of their respective situations secret for several months last season, with the knowledge that they had tested positive for banned substances remaining undisclosed to the public. Sinner tested positive twice for trace amounts of an anabolic steroid during a March tournament; however, the revelations and his subsequent clearance from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) did not come to light until August, just before the U.S. Open, which he ultimately triumphed in. His defense rested on the claim that a trainer inadvertently exposed him to the prohibited substance through a massage right after applying a cream on his injured finger.
In Swiatek’s case, she failed an out-of-competition drug test in August, but her one-month suspension wasn’t revealed until late November, following a period of absence from three competitions without clarification on her absence. The ITIA concluded her sample was compromised due to a tainted sleep aid, and by the time her case was made public, only a week of her suspension remained, which occurred during the offseason.
Reflecting on her time away from the court, Swiatek described the period as “pretty chaotic” and acknowledged that it was one of the most challenging moments of her career, despite initially attributing her absence to personal matters. “It got pretty awkward. Like we chose for the first tournament to say ‘personal reasons’ because we honestly thought the suspension is going to be lifted soon,” she shared, adding that the levels of the banned substance in her system had been low enough to suggest contamination.
Swiatek also expressed concerns about how her fellow competitors might react to her situation as the new season begins. “Besides the fact I couldn’t play, this was the worst thing for me: What people would say. Because I always worked hard to be a good example, to show my integrity, show good behavior,” she reflected. “Having no control over this case really freaked me out a bit. But in the locker room, I mean, the girls are great.”
In both athletes’ cases, their experiences underscore the complexities and challenges they face as they navigate the pressures of the sport amid serious allegations and the risk of public scrutiny.
