With each passing day, the doping controversy of Iga Swiatek is taking a new turn. Even after the Pole was cleared of the doping charges, the controversy refused to die down. Last month, it was revealed that Swiatek failed a doping test back in August and was suspended from the sport for a month. As a result, she missed the entire Asian Swing but made a comeback at the WTA Finals. However, days after serving her suspension, there was a fresh twist in Swiatek’s case, which invited a firm response from the Pole.

After the news of Swiatek testing positive for a banned substance broke, former World No. 1 Evgeny Kafelnikov suggested that Swiatek should be handed a lifetime ban and a similar punishment should be handed to anyone caught using banned substances. In the case of Swiatek, her sample contained extremely low levels of the banned substance, trimetazidine, and hence, she faced just a month’s ban. During an interview, Swiatek lashed out at Kafelnikov and gave a firm response.

She said, “Honestly, it’s the first time I’ve heard it. Since when has he not played tennis? I think a lot has changed since he was on the court. Detection and probability have increased. I think he hasn’t read our documentation and doesn’t understand what it is. I’ll just ignore it.”

While people like Kafelnikov were very much critical of Swiatek and her doping controversy, others like Andy Roddick backed the Pole amid tough times. The American legend said, “I can’t call it doping. It’s like taking a melatonin for jet lag at 2:30 in the morning in Cincy… 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 obviously. A negative test in Paris at the Olympics, negative tests in New York. So this isn’t some ongoing thing.”

Moreover, there have also been comparisons between Swiatek’s doping case and Simona Halep’s doping case. However, the Pole explained why her case could not be compared with other cases.

Iga Swiatek on comparisons to Simona Halep’s doping case: ‘Each of these cases is completely different’

Back in 2022, Simona Halep found herself in big trouble after failing a doping test. Subsequently, she was banned for four years, which potentially threatened to end her career. Months later, she won an appeal in the CAS, and her ban was eventually reduced to nine months. So when Swiatek faced just one month ban after falling her dope test, there was massive criticism. The ITIA was called out for being partial in this regard. However, Swiatek feels that it makes no sense to compare her case with that of Halep’s case.

She explained, “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.”

Further, she went on to add, “I think this is a question more for ITIA than for the player. My fate, just like the fates of others, was in their hands and they decide how each case will turn out. Trust that this process is objective, that everything is done according to the regulations and no one judges a player this way or that way because of his position. But whether it is really like that, I think this is a question for ITIA.”

After not having the best of finishes to the 2024 season, Swiatek will look to shrug off the controversy and make a fresh start next year. Can she come back strongly after her doping controversy? Let us know your views in the comments below.