Iga Swiatek talks about 'horror' and 'huge disappointment' over doping ban as she says 'difficult to compare' cases

Iga Swiatek has spoken of the “horror and disappointment” of her positive doping case – and how it is “difficult to compare her punishment to that of other players.

She was told of her positive result in September and was given a one-month suspension, part of which she served when she missed the Asia swing.

Asked about her reaction to discovering the test result, she responded told TVN24: “My reaction was very intense. It was a mix of confusion and panic. There was a lot of crying.

“My manager said my reaction was as if someone had died or something serious had happened to my health.

“I thought maybe it was a mistake. I really didn't understand what was happening. The name of the substance itself was completely unknown to me. I had never heard of its origin. I didn't think much about it, I just overwhelmed with emotions.”

Swiatek is the second high-profile player to test positive for a banned substance this year, after men's world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

Reflecting on the emotions she has felt over the past few months, Swiatek said, “Horror. And a huge disappointment.

“Just entering the field was painful. If it hadn't been for my training partner, Tomek Moczek, who in the beginning did training sessions with me like you do with children – we were just having fun on the field – I think I would didn't practice at all.

“The truth is that I enjoy playing tennis, but not enough to sacrifice my honor or my values. I found myself in a situation where people could suddenly judge me very negatively because of what had happened.”

Swiatek says she has received messages of support from fellow players and hesitates to compare the ban she received with the outcomes of doping cases involving Sinner, Simona Halep or compatriot Kamil Majchrzak.

Although Swiatek was suspended for a month, Sinner was not suspended. Halep was originally given a four-year ban before the ban was reduced on appeal, and Majchrzak was given a 13-month ban.

'I know people should automatically compare situations like this to others that have happened before, but the truth is that each of these cases is completely different. And the process of proving innocence will also vary accordingly.

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“It's difficult to compare me with Sinner, Halep or Kamil Majchrzak because we all face a different problem. I think that's more a question for the ITIA than for the player. My fate, like others, was , in their hands, and they decide how each case unfolds.

“I trust that this process is objective, that everything is done according to the rules and that no one judges a player in any way based on his ranking.

“What was most important to me was that I could start the new season with a clean slate and concentrate on playing.”

Pegula: Penalties seem variable

US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula has said the “explanation made sense” regarding Swiatek's doping case.

But she added that the penalties for positive drug tests “seem to be variable,” which can seem “frustrating.”

Jessica Pegula

Image credits: Getty Images

'I mean you have to trust that they will do their job, that they will come to the right conclusion.

“I think it's just frustrating for people on the outside – or even for some players – that it seems so inconsistent with the way people are punished.

'It was explained to me why it happened. But at the same time it's like, 'Yes, but how does this vary so deeply?

“I think that can be frustrating. But the way it was explained to me, it almost seems a little cut and dry, and the explanation made sense.”

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