Champion Under Scrutiny: Swiatek's Suspension Shakes Tennis

Five-time Grand Slam champion, Iga Swiatek, accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance. The incident was attributed to contamination in her melatonin medication. Her suspension began in September, resulting in a missed tournament and lost prize money, but was later lifted.

Iga Swiatek, the world number two and five-time Grand Slam champion, faces a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Thursday.

The substance was detected in an August out-of-competition sample and linked to her over-the-counter melatonin medication for jet lag. The ITIA deemed it 'the lowest end of the range' and Swiatek accepted the ruling, agreeing to the terms following the positive test while ranked world number one.

Despite Swiatek being cleared of significant fault, her provisional suspension starting September 12 led her to miss tournaments, including in Asia, where fatigue kept her off the courts. The issue was further stressed by her forfeiture of Cincinnati Open prize money, but new tests confirmed contamination in unopened medication packages.

(With inputs from agencies.)