Iga Swiatek not concerned about meeting same fate as Jannik Sinner after doping controversy: "I don't think there is any reason"

Iga Swiatek this week gave her thoughts on a prospective appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency against the decision in her doping case. The Pole said she sees "no reason" to challenge the one-month suspension ruling she received in October. She also commended the International Tennis Integrity Agency's handling of the players' cases.

Swiatek disclosed in October that she had been provisionally banned at the beginning of the post-US Open season. The World No. 2 said in her statement that she had taken 1-2 grams of melatonin, which was contaminated with the prohibited substance Trimetazidine (TMZ).

Swiatek fielded questions surrounding her doping controversy ahead of her participation at the United Cup on Friday, December 27. The 23-year-old was asked whether she was nervous about WADA appealing in the Court of Arbitration for a longer ban, as they have done in Jannik Sinner's case.

In response, the Pole insisted that since she had given sufficient evidence to prove her innocence, there wasn't much likelihood of her serving another suspension. Speaking to the media in Sydney, she said,

"Well, I don't think there is any reason, because I didn't play three tournaments. I was suspended for a long time, and I lost No. 1 [WTA ranking], you know, because of that. I also know how the procedure worked, and I gave every possible evidence and there is not much, honestly, to do more. So I don't know, there is no point to do an appeal in our opinion, you know.

"But honestly, like, this is about the law and the wording and this kind of stuff. So I'm not expecting an appeal, but I have kind of no influence on what's going to happen. But I can say from the processes that I went through and how they treated me from the beginning, that it seemed fair for me. I managed to give the source pretty quickly. That's why the case closed, you know, pretty quickly."

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March. However, the doping controversy came into the public eye five months later, with the ITIA ruling a "no fault nor negligence" decision in the Italian's favor. In September, WADA appealed Sinner's case to the CAS, asking for a suspension of at least one to two years. The hearing will take place at some point in 2025.

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Iga Swiatek on her doping case decision: "It was a fair process, I trust the ITIA"

Iga Swiatek talks to media at United Cup 2025

During Team Poland's press conference, Iga Swiatek also talked about the fallout from the International Tennis Integrity Agency banning her for a month. The Pole maintained that it had been a "fair process" before appreciating ITIA's efforts against doping in tennis.

Swiatek said,

"I didn't play tournaments, and I kind of, I got a fine, small one, symbolic one, but it's over now. So I guess, in my opinion, it was a fair process, and I trust ITIA that any case they do, they're going to treat every player the same way and fairly."

Though Polan did not win the trophy, Swiatek enjoyed a sublime campaign at the last edition of the United Cup. She won all of her singles fixtures en route to the final, where Team Poland succumbed to Team Germany by a score of 1-2.