Polish star Iga Swiatek‘s 2024 season was nothing short of surreal. Beginning the year as the WTA number one, she reached a new height by clinching the French Open title. However, the WTA star’s journey took a dramatic turn when she lost her top rank due to a doping controversy. Just when it seemed everything was shattered, the tennis fraternity rallied behind Swiatek, supporting her innocence. Reflecting on these tumultuous events, this Polish player expressed gratitude, highlighting her humble and resilient personality.

Swiatek tested positive for Trimetazidine which entered her system through contaminated melatonin. This former WTA number one tested positive in a doping trial in August and received a suspension of one month from ITIA. As a result, she missed the Asian Swing, and her number-one rank was also gone. When the news of Swiatek’s doping test failure came to the media, it surprised the fraternity. To clear people’s confusion, this Polish player took to her IG platform to explain her side of the story. Listening to Swiatek’s confession, the manufacturer of the contaminated melatonin also issued an apology to Swiatek, promising to clear her name. They also confirmed the amount of the banned substance was below the permissible. Despite everything, this entire fiasco impacted Iga Swiatek who is known to be very introverted. However, a month after the ordeal, this Polish player has confessed something that warmed the hearts of many.

According to a Polish media publication, Swiatek said, “After revealing the information about my case, I was afraid that most people would turn away from me, but I felt support and it’s great. (…) I really appreciate it, because when I left the China Open and no one knew why, it wasn’t so easy.”

Now, Swiatek was supported by former legend Andy Roddick, who thinks it shouldn’t even be called doping. “I can’t call it doping. It’s like taking a melatonin for jet lag at 2:30 in the morning in Cincy and having… think about how many things had to go wrong for Iga Swiatek to get popped for melatonin and something that was contaminated. It’s just unfortunate for her [Swiatek] obviously,” he said extending his clear support for the former WTA number one.

Overwhelmed by support from the fraternity, Swiatek has renewed her motivation for the 2025 season. Previously during the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup finals, she delved deeper into the matter and revealed how she hopes to perform even better this season.

Iga Swiatek wanted to start the new season with “some new goals”

Although Swiatek’s 2024 season was full of challenges, she didn’t lose hope. Speaking about her plans for the new season, the WTA star said, “I’m going to start the new season with some new goals, and I’m already looking forward to it. Because we haven’t had time with Wim to practice a lot. So it’s going to be nice to try that. Well, the experience, I would say. I think this year it was easier for me to play as No. 1 and with a target on my back. So I’ll need some time to analyse, because from the beginning, I was just going from tournament to tournament.”

Swiatek will start this season with her performance in the 2025 United Cup representing Poland. The team will play their first match on 30th December. After that, the Polish star is expected to attend the Australian Open tournament.

Iga Swaitek’s spirit and resilience deserve applause. Despite challenges, she stuck with her personality and fought for her innocence. The player remained transparent to her fans and vowed to work even harder. Such qualities showcase why Swiatek is one of the top-ranked WTA players with the potential to earn many Major trophies in the future.