Iga Swiatek banned, the sport gapes at itself

WTA 
Iga Swiatek banned, the whole sport gapes at itself

When we all discovered the Jannik Sinner positive tests, I said that tennis really didn’t need that. Well, did tennis now need to see another World No.1 testing positive? Absolutely not. Barely back from the Djokovic x Murray breaking news, I found myself gaping again at my screen when the Iga Swiatek news reached me. I mean, what the hell is going on?! We’re not even out of the woods with Sinner, and you’re telling me now Swiatek - Swiatek! - is joining that bad news cycle?

The ITIA indeed announced (and attached the detailed decision in the announcement) that Iga Swiatek, who was World No.1 at the time, had tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) back in August and accepted a one-month ban, meaning she would not appeal. It explained that, due to winning an appeal, she was allowed to play at the WTA Finals and the BJK Cup Finals. She will now be allowed to be back on Tour from December 4.

Watch Iga Swiatek’s full video statement here and read the transcript below. I’m also joining the full statement her team communicated with the case details.

Let’s make something clear here: I would never put my hand in a fire, swearing that this player or that player would never use banned substances. Nobody should. It’s professional sport, we should know better than being naïve. This said, Sinner and Swiatek failing doping tests??!! No, I didn’t see that coming. Yes, due to what I know and have experienced while covering both players on Tour, I’m personally willing to believe their contamination argument. And I’m feeling for Iga Swiatek because it must be quite a nightmare for someone who’s that sensitive. I’m also feeling for Sinner, who had his biggest year and his biggest scandal at the same time while also going through some rough time off the court. Hopefully, the future won’t make me feel like a fool about that, but again, don’t put that hand in the fire. Yet, how far can that sport push the collective’s suspense of disbelief? Accidents happen, and that’s why the ITIA is here and why there’s a whole process to follow before a player gets banned for doping.

For me, and the optics, the issue in both cases here is the delay between the positive test and its public announcement. Yes, I know, and now everybody not talking in bad faith knows that the process demands it. There is no choice. But it’s not possible to keep going like that because it erodes the trust people put in the sport. It pushes players to lie about why they’re not playing. It pushes media to, for months, be made to cover an alternate reality. When two of the best players in the world are getting caught, the whole rule turns into a circus that is impossible to defend.

Silent bans and silent processes need to go

It puts Swiatek, after Sinner, in a lose-lose situation as it makes them look like they are hiding shady stuff in the dark. They weren’t; they just abided by the rules. And yet, it’s now a stain they’re going to have to live with for a little while (unless anything else gets out). Not forever: it happened to Marin Cilic, and you can barely hear anyone talking about it nowadays. Wim Fissette, one of the most experienced and successful coaches on Tour, agreed to still sign with Iga Swiatek despite knowing about the whole situation. “Iga told me about the case and left me the decision about our cooperation. I have been observing her for a long time, her values, her work ethic, her standards. I was confident that she is innocent from the start, so it did not influence my decision about joining the team,” he told The National.

I’m not even gonna get into the reactions from the tennis world about the Swiatek situation because, as often, I’m left baffled by the lack of reading abilities of some people, the amount of bad faith and/or impatience to use anything for clout, and more importantly the absolute laziness into getting to understand a case before mixing apples and oranges. But hey, that’s the era we’re living in. And it’s another reason why tennis needs to get rid of the silent ban and the overall silence following a positive test. It helps nobody. And this year, it’s coming to overshadow an entire season at a time when the sport is losing some of its biggest icons and needs to rebuild. No sport can just shrug and keep going when two of its active World No.1 get tested positive. Players say it all the time: you learn more in defeats than in victories. Tennis needs to learn like wow from this because, depending also on what’s going to happen to Sinner, it is some pretty atrocious plot twist.

QUESTION OF THE DAY 
Was It Fair?

You were 83,33% to think Andy Murray would be a good fit as the new Novak Djokovic’s coach. “I don't see it being a particularly long relationship. It is hard to know how much longer Novak will even play. But I think that overall it will work. (Now that we all are over the shock of the initial announcement),” commented Shirley.

BUSINESS / MEDIA 
“Djoker That?”

• Yes, it seems Novak Djokovic has received the message—or, more so, that the deal has been signed. Qatar Airways announced that Djokovic had signed a multi-year deal as their Global Brand Ambassador and Wellness Advisor. A 2024 trend for Djokovic, who has recently signed the same kind of deal with Aman. It makes total sense for a worldwide brand to want to be associated with one of the most successful and known professional athletes in history. I’m just wondering why Ons Jabeur hasn’t been offered these deals, as she’d seem an ideal fit for the whole region. Maybe it’s on the way!
  

• Maybe these brands haven’t read the numerous studies about how women’s sports are about to make billions rain on investors. A recent one swears that these billions are about to be unlocked. 
  

• The Australian Open has announced Haier as the Official TV and Appliance Partner of the Australian Open and Summer of Tennis events. “Over the next three years, Haier will collaborate with the Australian Open to highlight its cutting-edge smart home innovations. The partnership aims to deliver immersive fan experiences by integrating advanced technologies in home appliances, including kitchen, laundry, and climate control systems, with the excitement of world-class tennis. (…) Haier also looks forward to supporting grass-roots tennis clubs across Australia as part of the push to get more people playing tennis,” a statement said.

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
If Del Po’s Happy, We’re Happy

• And so they keep leaving… Time doesn’t stop, even for the greatest ones so here’s one more incredible player who is parting ways with the game. Juan Martin Del Potro, who was basically already retired for a while, if not officially, has found a way to play one last match to close that tennis chapter. I told you last week why “Del Po” was breaking my heart, and now I’m relieved that he could find some on-court solace.
  
  Novak Djokovic came all the way to Buenos Aires to play that exhibition match, confirming the strong ties between the two champions. That was quite the send-off when you saw the amount of people who showed up! Roger Federer had a video message for Del Potro displayed on the court. Now, I am hoping Del Potro finds a way to get his health back and also his joy for life. There is no way that tennis can’t find him a spot, even if the gentle giant is surely too shy to ask for one.
  

• Sinner will defend his Australian Open title. The CAS won't hear the appeal against his doping sanction by the time the first Grand Slam of the season starts in January. “CAS published its latest list of hearings on Thursday with Sinner’s not listed to be heard between now and February 11,” reports The Athletic.
  

• Obviously, the Australian Open already knew about it because it announced that Sinner would be on the line-up playing charity matches right before the Australian Open. He will be joined by Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Zheng Qinwen, Alex de Minaur, and Alexei Popyrin from Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 January.
  

• After the Novak Djokovic coached by Andy Murray breaking news, another player went big on the coaching department. Hubert Hurkacza announced he had hired not one but two coaches and that he was leaning toward the super coach trend. He indeed named Ivan Lendl and Nicolas Massu to be his coaching team next year.
  

• Carlos Alcaraz joins arts and a good action. “The Carlos Alcaraz Foundation announced on Tuesday the launch of the exhibition ‘Los pies en la tierra,’ aimed at highlighting the importance of equal opportunities for children. The exhibit reflects on Alcaraz’s journey as an ordinary child whose upbringing allowed him to follow his path and pursue his dreams. (…) With the support of the Murcia City Council, the exhibition will be open free of charge at the Cárcel Vieja de Murcia (Avenida General Primo de Rivera, 2) from December 14 to February 15,” announced the foundation. And here’s what Alcaraz said about it: “I consider myself very fortunate for the childhood I had, and ‘Los pies en la tierra’ offers a chance to reflect on how this stage shapes each of our lives. I encourage everyone to come and discover what we’ve prepared for you.”
  

• Talking about Alcaraz, he’s just been announced as a member of Team Europe for next year’s Laver Cup in San Francisco (Sept. 19-21, 2025). Taylor Fritz has already been confirmed for Team World.

EDITOR’S PICKS 

You can find other picks here, including my go-to newsletters for anything tech*, anything backstage* or professional sports*, and the one for everything NIL*. If you’re a solopreneur, you might like this one, by the way. I also have a sweet spot for The Creator Spotlight*, which provides examples of other creators’ journeys. If you are a collector of anything sports-related, look at Above the Mantel. And if you’re a woman looking for better coverage of our lives, issues, and interests, I suggest you, Gloria.

READ: The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore. If you’re like me, you have targeted this winter to get going with your to-be-read pile finally. And that’s the book I’m starting with.

READ MORE: If you’re looking for a tennis book to read or gift through that holiday season, I suggest you give a chance to Paul Fein’s well-documented and original book, “Game Changers: How the Greatest Players, Matches, and Controversies Transformed Tennis.” 

WATCH: I have no idea why I didn’t watch this when it came out in 2018, but it somehow got on my radar this week, and omg it hits. Generation Wealth, from Lauren Greenfield, on Amazon Prime, is unfortunately still a necessary watch in 2024.