WTA World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka has finally commented on Iga Swiatek‘s doping case that took the tennis world by storm. Sabalenka avoided directly commenting on the matter; however, she subtly criticized those people who took a dig at Swiatek.
She further went ahead to highlight the fact that she believes in clean sport and has nothing much to add on the matter.
She said, “People often overreact without understanding the situation, so I don’t want to speak out in any way. I believe in clean sports, and I have nothing more to add.”
Even Iga Swiatek has avoided talking about it. However, when the matter garnered unnecessary heat, the World No. 1 finally broke the silence on being compared to Jannik Sinner and Simona Halep’s doping case.
During a press conference, Swiatek shut down the comparisons, highlighting how each of those cases is completely different from each other. As per the World No. 1,
Swiatek said, “I know that people need to automatically compare such situations to others that have already happened, but the truth is that each of these cases is completely different. And the process of proving innocence will also be different. It’s hard to compare me to Sinner, to Halep, to Kamil Majchrzak, because each of us is struggling with a different problem.”
Iga Swiatek doping case: All you need to know
For the uninitiated, on Nov. 27, 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) issued a decision on a test performed on Iga Swiatek on Aug. 12, 2024.
The sample detected traces of trimetazidine (TMZ), a doping drug in the sporting world. The substance is also used to treat heart disease and angina pectoris. It promotes glucose oxidation and optimizes energy production in oxygen-limited (stressful condition) situations, improving performance under stressful conditions.
However, the case was soon dismissed when ITIA agreed that TMZ’s “more likely than not” source was the contaminated product and that the accidental intake caused the August 12, 2024, test to be positive. Thus, it was determined that TMZ’s intake was not “intentional.”
With that being said, Aryna Sabalenka is currently working to defend the upcoming Australian Open.
