Iga Swiatek, the dominant force in women’s tennis, is caught in a whirlwind of controversy. Just as she was regaining her form post-injury, it was made public that she failed a drug test on August 12th for trimetazidine and informed of the violation on September 12th. The tennis world is divided, with players like Dinara Safina denying the claims, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov’s asking for a LIFE BAN for Swiatek. The latter has prompted a strong rebuttal from a doping expert, Prof. Jerzy Smorawiński.

As per the Polish publication Interia, Smorawiński, long-time head of the Commission for Combating Doping in Sport, expressed his frustration over the backlash aimed at Świątek, coming particularly from Russian sources. According to him, the comments are not just malicious but come from people who lack proper knowledge. He said, “It’s true. Not only is it malicious, but of course people who have no idea are speaking out. And they do it out of pure malice.”

After reports surfaced about Świątek testing positive for a banned substance, Kafelnikov posted a scathing message on X. He wrote, “Sometimes I wonder… why the hell I didn’t take steroids throughout my career, so that instead of 170 matches a year I could play maybe 300? It’s really a shame what’s happening to tennis now. There should be a LIFETIME ban for anyone caught using banned substances! NO excuses and ZERO tolerance, no matter who you are!!!!”

Iga was fined $158,944 in prize money which she earned for her SF run at the Cincinnati Masters in August! Polish tennis insider Tomasz Wolfke highlighted the consequences, stating, “This penalty actually took away only two starts from her. Only or as much as, because she couldn’t defend her title, she lost some points, she lost a lot of money, she lost the leadership in the world ranking.”

Wolfke also highlighted that Świątek could have faced far worse, with bans extending up to four years. He added, “She was not found innocent, but guilty. However, the act had such low harmfulness that she was given the lowest possible sentence.” Despite the relatively mild penalty, the incident has split the tennis world into two sides where some supporting her and others condemning her.

Massive support grows for Iga Świątek amid doping controversy

Among them is American tennis legend Andy Roddick, who downplayed the situation. He explained, “I can’t call it doping. Taking melatonin when you’re jetlagged at 2:30 in Cincinnati… It was just unfortunate for her.” Świątek’s father, Tomasz Swiatek, also addressed the controversy. He defended his daughter against harsh criticism.

In an interview with SportoweFakty, he revealed his decision to avoid engaging with false assumptions. He stated, “People write various things, but I decided from the beginning that I wouldn’t fight windmills. If I wanted to correct false assumptions, I wouldn’t do anything else.” He expressed frustration over the tendency to praise athletes during their highs and criticize them after a single setback. Tomasz urged people to remember that athletes are human with emotions.

Jean-Claude Alvarez, a renowned professor of pharmacology, also offered a strong defense. He declared Świątek innocent, stating that her positive test was because of the melatonin she used for jet lag. He stated, “Iga Świątek is not guilty of anything! She was only taking melatonin to fall asleep because she was suffering from jet lag.” Alvarez questioned the month-long suspension while arguing that Świątek should not have been punished at all. Guilty or not, Swiatek is set to make a comeback soon and is currently busy training in the off-season!