MELBOURNE : Iga Swiatek said on Friday she considered revealing her positive doping test to the public as she awaited the outcome of her case but eventually decided against it as she thought it would be easier to explain the situation after authorities dealt with it.
The world number two tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in August and was provisionally banned the following month. She said her absences from tournaments in Asia were down to personal matters and fatigue.
The five-times Grand Slam champion successfully appealed against her provisional ban and returned to action in October after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted the explanation that her positive test was caused by contamination of her sleep medication melatonin.
The Pole accepted a one-month ban that ended on Dec. 4 after accounting for time already served.
“I think it’s easier to tell the whole story when it is complete,” Swiatek told Polish media at the Australian Open.
“For a long time when I was in Warsaw and couldn’t play, I wondered if it would be better to say publicly what happened.
“But the truth is that with no source at the time and no decision from the ITIA yet, we would be only half-informing that I had a doping case and that would have caused me more stress and problems. People would have judged me negatively.
“So I think that ultimately the system that is in place now, which gives a chance to find an answer and resolve the situation before it is revealed publicly, is reasonable. This information would have come out publicly (if the case lasted longer).”
The handling of Swiatek’s doping case and that of men’s world number one Jannik Sinner has sparked allegations of double standards from some players, including those who have waited for months or years to clear their names.
Swiatek said she was worried by what people might say.
“I always worked hard to be a good example, to show my integrity, show good behaviour. Having no control over this case really freaked me out a bit,” she added.
“But in the locker room, the girls are great … Most of them even approached me. They’re like ‘Hey, how can we avoid this? Is there any way that we can be more careful?’
“They’re worried this can happen to them, as well. There are many top players that are supportive. I appreciate that, because it made me feel better when I came back and didn’t know how it was going to be.”
Swiatek faces Katerina Siniakova in the first round of the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday.
