It hasn’t been a great year for tennis as far as doping controversies are concerned. While there have been many cases with players down the ranks, some high-profile players have also found themselves engulfed in it. Among them are the likes of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. These controversies involving the top players have threatened to take the shine away from the on-court action. Amid these controversies, the ITIA chief, Oliver Niggli, has questioned the level of banned substances found in the samples.
Although there was a major controversy surrounding the likes of Sinner and Swiatek, the former escaped any major punishment and the latter received just a month’s ban from tennis. As a result, Niggli questioned if the rulings should be made based on the quantities of banned substances found in the players’ samples.
During an interview, he said, “The quantities found are so small that it is possible to contaminate yourself by doing even trivial things. I understand the public, who thinks we are naive and that we drink it all. But the reality is different. There is a problem. If we wanted to simplify our lives, we could impose new thresholds and not encounter all these cases. But the real question: ‘Are we ready to accept microdosing? Where do we stop?”
Sinner came in contact with the banned substance, Clostebol through a spray applied by his physio. He provided this explanation to the ITIA and was let off after his justification was found to be satisfactory by an independent tribunal. In Swiatek’s case, on the other hand, it was determined that her level of fault was at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence. Thus, she received a reduced sentence of just a 1-month ban.
The doping controversy, nonetheless, has come as a shock to Swiatek, who has been going through tough times. She took to social media to claim her innocence in this matter.
What did Iga Swiatek say after her doping incident came to light?
The Pole’s blood sample was found to contain the banned substance trimetazidine. It is found in heart medications and Swiatek’s blood sample contained an extremely small level of this banned substance. As a result, she failed the doping test and was handed a 1-month ban. The Pole has been left shell-shocked by this incident and has claimed her innocence.
She said, “Both me and my Team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained, and with a clean slate, I can go back to what I love most. I know I will be stronger than ever. I’m leaving with you a long video and right now I’m just relieved it’s over. I want to be open with you, even though I know I did nothing wrong.”
Swiatek was serving the ban after the US Open, which was the reason why she missed the Asian Swing. Later, she made a comeback at the WTA Finals where she bowed out of the group stage. With the 2024 season not ending on a good note for Swiatek, the Pole will aim to make amends and start the 2025 season with a bang.
The post ‘Are We Ready to Accept Microdosing?’ – ITIA Chief’s Provocative Question Amid Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek Controversy appeared first on EssentiallySports.