WADA will not appeal Swiatek’s doping ban decision

The World Anti-Doping Agency has announced that it will not launch an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the one-month ban given to Iga Swiatek.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency handed the then-world No 1 a one-month ban after she tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample in August 2024.

The ITIA accepted that the positive test was caused by contamination – which Swiatek and her team were able to prove within ten days of the result – with the Pole’s ban ending on December 4 last year.

This decision comes after the same organisation announced in October that it would be appealing against the decision made by the ITIA not to ban Jannik Sinner.

“Following a thorough review, it (WADA) will not lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” a statement from WADA read.

“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.

“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 Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

Swiatek has just made it through to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, where she will take on Emma Navarro.

Speaking after her fourth-round win against Eva Lys, the Pole conveyed her desire to now draw a line under this whole issue.

“I’m just satisfied I can get a closure, kind of, and I can just move on and finish this whole process,” she said.

“I just want to play tennis and focus on the tournament. It’s good that the process is over.”

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