Tennis was shaken by two big doping scandals in 2024. First, Jannik Sinner, the top men’s player, had a US Open win clouded by a doping issue. He tested positive two times for a banned substance in March, but an independent tribunal accepted his excuse that it was a case of accidental contamination. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) didn’t agree and appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with a ruling expected next year.
Next, Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek also faced problems. She lost her number one ranking to Aryna Sabalenka and served a one-month ban. Swiatek tested positive for a banned substance in an out-of-competition check in August. Her defense, approved by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), was that the positive test happened because of contamination from a regulated sleep medication, melatonin, sold in Poland.
Both players received support from fellow athletes and fans, but some, including former number one Simona Halep, were critical. Halep had her own doping case, which started when she tested positive for a substance called roxadustat in 2022. After initially getting a four-year ban, CAS reduced her punishment to nine months. Halep believes there are inconsistencies in how doping cases are handled in tennis.
ITIA chief Karen Moorhouse addressed questions about whether Sinner and Swiatek were treated more favorably. Speaking to Niftystat, she stated, “All players are judged by the same rules.” She emphasized that each case is unique and depends on specific details. For example, Halep’s case involved a contaminated supplement, while Swiatek used a medication, so their levels of fault were assessed differently.
Swiatek reportedly took a banned drug called trimetazidine, causing her to miss three tournaments during her ban.
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