"I felt support and understanding from them”: Iga Swiatek reveals private support from fellow athletes after doping controversy

Iga Swiatek revealed that she received support from several of her colleagues privately after the doping controversy, although she acknowledges that not all of them have been so understanding. The 5-time Grand Slam champion recently accepted a one-month suspension for testing positive for Trimetazidine.

The doping case was made public on November 28 through a video posted by the Polish player on Instagram, in which she defended her innocence. She explained that she had unknowingly ingested contaminated melatonin, which she was able to prove during the investigation with the ITIA.

Swiatek underwent a doping test on August 12 at the Cincinnati Open, and a month later, after participating in the US Open, she received the news that her sample had tested positive for the banned substance, which led to a provisional suspension. After successfully appealing on October 4, she was allowed to return to competition until the investigation was completed, though she missed the Asian Swing in the process.

With the season now over, Swiatek accepted the one-month suspension after the investigation concluded, although she had already served most of it, so the remaining week was completed this week during the off-season. The new doping case involving a high-profile player once again sparked criticism from some of her colleagues, including Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov, who, like in the case of Jannik Sinner, voiced their opinions on social media.

In a recent interview with TVN24 GO, the world No. 2 highlighted that she received many private messages of support from her colleagues. "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," she said.

"When at the beginning no one had time to read the documentation, they asked what the medicine was, where the melatonin came from. 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," the 4-time French Open champion concluded.