WADA Drops Doping Case Against Iga Swiatek After Review

WADA will not appeal the doping case against Iga Swiatek, accepting that her positive test was caused by contaminated melatonin, and clearing the way for the tennis star to move forward without further sanction.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Monday that it will not appeal the case of tennis star Iga Swiatek to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Swiatek, 23, tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August.

The five-time Grand Slam champion had accepted a one-month suspension in November, which WADA has deemed sufficient. According to Swiatek, the positive test was caused by contamination of her medication melatonin. WADA's decision not to appeal the case brings an end to the matter, and Swiatek can now focus on her tennis career without the uncertainty of a potential appeal hanging over her.

Iga Swiatek had previously explained that she was taking melatonin for jet lag and sleep issues, and fortunately, she did not receive a lengthy ban. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that there was no significant fault or negligence on her part, which led to a relatively short suspension. Following a thorough review, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided not to appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

WADA conducted a comprehensive review of the case file, which they received on November 29th. After consulting with their scientific experts, WADA concluded that the contamination of Swiatek's melatonin was plausible and that there were no scientific grounds to challenge it at CAS. In a statement, WADA explained, “WADA has conducted a full review of the case file related to the ITIA decision, which it received on November 29th... WADA's scientific experts have confirmed that 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.”

23 years young 🙌@iga_swiatek | #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/fL84SY0QGO

— wta (@WTA) January 20, 2025

Swiatek expressed relief and gratitude that the matter has been resolved. She believes that anyone familiar with the details of her case would understand her situation. “The locker room has also been pretty nice,” she said. “The girls are understanding... Now for sure, I just want to put this behind me, because I have already been on tour for quite a few weeks, and it's all been good. I don't expect any changes. I'm happy people understand.” Swiatek is now focused on moving forward and leaving the controversy behind.

In contrast, men's world number one Jannik Sinner is still facing scrutiny after testing positive for the anabolic agent clostebol. Although Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing, WADA has lodged an appeal to the CAS, with a hearing scheduled to begin on April 16th.