“I can go back to what I love most,” is what Iga Swiatek said after acknowledging her doping ban. Once regarded as the best, her world took a U-turn when she was hit by a doping ban. While many supported her, many were quick to criticize her as well. One among them was a renowned French journalist who questioned the legitimacy of the ban. Swiatek was let off with just a one-month ban and Benoit Maylin, the French journalist was not happy with how the whole process went forward.

Maylin has raised serious questions about the transparency surrounding Iga Swiatek’s recent doping suspension. The five-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned heart medication, in an out-of-competition urine sample taken in August. Swiatek claimed the result was due to contamination in a melatonin supplement she used for jet lag.

“How can we imagine that Swiatek was secretly suspended for three weeks and then allowed to play the Masters before serving another week of suspension? All this lacks coherence and above all transparency,” Maylin stated. He criticized the handling of the case, calling it “disastrous” for tennis.

Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension, which began on September 12, causing her to miss three tournaments, including the China Open and the Wuhan Open. She appealed the ban, citing a contaminated, regulated melatonin product from Poland as the source of the banned substance. The appeal succeeded, and her suspension was lifted on October 4.

However, Swiatek served seven remaining days starting November 27, as the WTA season had ended. She forfeited $158,944 in prize money and lost her World No. 1 ranking during this period. Swiatek called the experience “the worst of my life,” sharing her thoughts via Instagram. However, she had to face a lot of flak. Multiple ATP pros, including the likes of Nick Kyrgios, slammed the Polish player.

Nick Kyrgios hits out at Iga Swiatek over her recent doping scandal

Nick Kyrgios has once again voiced his frustration over Iga Swiatek’s recent doping suspension, taking a sharp jab at the Polish star and the broader handling of doping in professional tennis. Though currently sidelined from the courts due to injury, Kyrgios has been vocal in the commentary box and on social media, using his platform to express his discontent.

Taking to X, Kyrgios declared, “The sport is dead.” He criticized the apparent leniency shown to athletes at the highest level, pointing out the excuse of ignorance. “The excuse that we can all use is that we didn’t know. Simply didn’t know. Professionals at the highest level of sport can now just say ‘We didn’t know,” Kyrgios wrote in another tweet while hitting back at the Polish star.

Earlier in the year, when Jannik Sinner tested positive for doping, Nick Kyrgios was one of those players to speak openly about the case as he took a dig at the Italian on multiple occasions. Kyrgios has always remained critical of how such cases are handled while revealing what he perceives as a lack of accountability in professional tennis.