Iga Swiatek officially removed from ITIA sanctions list as month-long ban ends

Iga Swiatek is officially free to play tennis again as of today as her ban has now been completed after testing positive for the substance trimetazidine which she tested positive for at an out of competition drug test in August.

ITIA provisionally suspended her from the tour and she explained that it was contamination. Swiatek was believed and the ITIA accepted the statement and handed her a one-month ban.

The one-month ban ended on Wednesday December 4 with ITIA removing Swiatek from their sanctions list on the following day (Tuesday December 5).

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Described as a stressful ordeal by Swiatek, it is unlikely to go away from the minds of tennis fans and players though with incidents like this and how they are handled dealing more harm than good in some cases. Nick Kyrgios for instance has heavily criticised the handling of the situation dismissing her explanation as an excuse.

He suggested that the explanations were a reflection of unaccountability with Jannik Sinner who wasn't banned also having a similar incident this season where he tested positive for a banned substance.

But albeit he has to go before CAS after WADA appealed it, he has got away it as of right now with no sanction imposed. Swiatek decided to take her sanction but that right of appeal is still there so in reality, she could be forced to relive it as such like Sinner has in CAS.

Also a bone of contention was that Swiatek used changes in coaching staff as the reason behind her withdrawals from tournaments albeit she of course under the rules that are put in place couldn't let anyone know anyway. But that is more on the ITIA than it is on Swiatek.

She added Wim Fissette who put aside issues that it might cause to still join up with the Roland Garros champion which he said was a no-brainer.