MELBOURNE, Australia, January 20, 2025 – The World Anti-Doping Agency will not appeal against the ban given to Poland’s Iga Swiatek.
The five-time major winner tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted the test result was caused by contamination and the world number two served a one-month suspension, which ended on 4 December.
“I’m just satisfied I can get a closure, kind of, and I can just move on and finish this whole process,” said Swiatek after she beat Eva Lys to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
“I just want to play tennis and focus on the tournament. It’s good that the process is over.”
Wada said that “following a thorough review, it will not lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas)” in the 23-year-old’s case.
“Wada’s scientific experts have confirmed the specific contaminated melatonin scenario, as presented by the athlete and accepted by the ITIA, is plausible and that there would be no scientific grounds to challenge it at Cas,” read a Wada statement.
“Wada sought advice from external legal counsel, who considered the athlete’s contamination explanation was well evidenced, that the ITIA decision was compliant with the World Anti-Doping Code, and that there was no reasonable basis to appeal it to the Cas.”
Men’s world number one Jannik Sinner did not receive a ban after failing two tests in March and Wada has appealed against that decision.
