SYDNEY - World No. 2 Iga Swiatek said on Dec 27 she was ready to put a drug scandal behind her, insisting there was no reason for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to appeal against her case.
The 23-year-old Pole tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August, when she was ranked No. 1.
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted that the violation was not intentional and she escaped with a one-month sanction that saw her miss three tournaments in Asia and lose her top ranking.
News of the saga emerged only in late November and she will play her first tournament since then at this week's mixed-teams United Cup in Sydney, ahead of the Australian Open in January.
Swiatek said that, while the incident had been "mentally tough," the public response had been generally positive, allaying fears that she would be ostracized.
This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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