By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday January 10, 2025

Integrity matters to Iga Swiatek. So much so that she was in a really dark place during the time that her provisional suspension was officially handed down to her in November for having a small trace of the banned substance trimetazidine in her system.



Swiatek says that the moments leading up to that ban were the worst moments of her life, and she was extremely worried about how the locker room would treat her when she returned, with the news now public. The five-time major champion says it has always been important for her to be a good example amongst her peers, and she felt that they might react harshly to her in this case.

“This was the worst thing for me, like what people would say,” Swiatek told reporters on media day at the Australian Open on Friday. “Because I always worked hard to be a good example, to show my integrity, show good behavior.”

Swiatek, who ultimately finished up her one-month ban in December, says the whole episode “freaked her out.”

“Having no control over this case really freaked me out a bit,” she said, before adding that interacting with fellow players in the locker room helped her calm her nerves. “In the locker room, the girls are great. I already saw at this exhibition in Abu Dhabi that they are really supportive.”

The Pole’s suspension was officially lifted in December. It is unlikely that she will face an appeal from WADA.



Swiatek says that many fellow players wanted to ask her how they can protect themselves from testing positive when innocent.

“Most of them even approached me,” she said. “They're like, ‘Hey, how can we avoid this? Is there any way that we can be more careful?’ They are worried this can happen to them, as well. So in the locker room, it's been great. There are many top players – I'm not going to say names – that are really supportive. I really appreciate that, because it made me feel better when I came back and I didn't know how it was going to be.”

Swiatek, seeded second in Melbourne, will face Katerina Siniakova in her first-round match.

In her first Grand Slam with her new coach Wim Fissette by her side, Swiatek is bidding to get to a final in Australia for the first time. Her best result to date is reaching the semifinal in 2022.