Iga Swiatek is free to play after the World Anti-Doping Agency said it would not appeal against the penalty imposed for testing positive for a banned substance.
WADA issued its decision just minutes after Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, defeated Eva Liss 6-0, 6-1 to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
The world number two tested positive for trimetazidine last August, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency acknowledged that the negative result was the result of contamination with an over-the-counter drug.
The ITIA imposed a one-month ban on the 23-year-old Pole, and after reviewing the evidence, the World Anti-Doping Agency has now said it will not take the matter any further.
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Nick Kyrgios has criticized the doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, saying they were handled “horribly” and that “treatment should be fair to everyone”.
“WADA’s scientific experts have confirmed that the identified contaminated melatonin scenario, as presented by the athlete and accepted by ITIA, is plausible and that there would be no scientific grounds to challenge it at the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).” The World Anti-Doping Agency statement said.
“Furthermore, WADA sought advice from external legal counsel, who considered that the athlete’s contamination explanation was well established, that ITIA’s decision was consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code, and that there was no reasonable basis for appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
Swiatek was temporarily suspended from September 22 until October 4, but this was not announced, as the three tournaments that the 23-year-old missed were attributed to personal matters and a change in coach.
Swiatek then served eight additional days until December 4 to make up the month.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the acquittal of Jannik Sinner, and a hearing is scheduled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) next April.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed decisions made by the ITIA in relation to men’s world number one Jannik Sinner.
Sinner tested positive for the anabolic steroid Clostpol in March, but the ITIA accepted this was due to accidental contamination.
The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed this ruling and requested that the Italian player, who won the US Open title last year shortly after the test was announced, be banned from the sport for a period of between one and two years.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is scheduled to hear WADA’s appeal in Sinner’s case on April 16-17.
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