"Most female athletes told me this was their biggest fear" - Iga Swiatek on receiving support from WTA colleagues amid doping ban

Iga Swiatek opened up about the support she received from her female colleagues during her doping suspension. The Pole revealed that some of them confided in her, saying what she was going through was their "biggest fear" as professional athletes.

Swiatek found herself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons earlier this month when it was revealed that she had tested positive for the banned substance Trimetazidine (TMZ). The test was conducted during an out-of-competition screening on August 12, 2024, under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

The former World No. 1 and her team fully cooperated with the investigation and accepted a one-month suspension from tennis. She later explained that the positive test was caused by contaminated melatonin tablets from Poland, which she had been using to address jet lag and sleep issues.

Recently, Iga Swiatek discussed the incident in greater detail during an interview with TVN24 GO, saying:

"I definitely received more signs of support, especially in private messages. I talked to many female athletes and most of them told me that this was their biggest fear, that something like this could happen to them. They asked what I would do now."

"When at the beginning no one had time to read the documentation, they asked what the medicine was, where the melatonin came from," she added.

The 23-year-old continued:

"I felt support and understanding from them and I think that most athletes are aware that this could happen to them too. But of course, there are exceptions."

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Iga Swiatek set to kick off 2025 season at United Cup

Iga Swiatek pictured at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals | Image Source: Getty

Iga Swiatek's one-month doping suspension has officially come to an end, allowing the Pole to move forward with a fresh start in 2025. She is set to begin the new season at the United Cup, representing her country, Poland.

The United Cup is a mixed-gender team competition featuring 18 nations battling for the championship. Scheduled to take place from December 26 to January 5, the tournament will be held across two Australian cities, Perth and Sydney. It will also serve as a warm-up event for the Australian Open.

Team Poland, led by Swiatek, will also feature Hubert Hurkacz, Kamil Majchrzak, Maja Chwalinska, Jan Zielinski, and Alicja Rosolska in the 2025 United Cup. Last year, they made it to the final but fell short, losing to Team Germany.