In both cases, the amounts found were low, and the players were judged not to have intended to dope. So far the punishments have been relatively minimal. Both lost the prize money and rankings points from the tournament where the positive test occurred; Indian Wells for Sinner, Cincinnati for Swiatek. Sinner was given no suspension at all, while Swiatek was handed a one-month ban, most of which she served when she was forced to miss the Asian swing this fall, an absence that contributed to her losing her No. 1 ranking. (The World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) is currently appealing the finding that Sinner as not at fault, with the hope of imposing a ban of up to two years.)
But if the official penalties were fairly small, the damage—emotional, psychological, reputational—to both was significant. Swiatek says it was “the worst experience of my life,” while Sinner said he didn’t “feel like myself” for the five months that it took for his case to be closed and revealed. Both talked about how devastating it is to have their accomplishments doubted by the public, and to be judged as possible cheaters by their peers.
“The only positive doping test in my career, showing unbelievably low level of a banned substance I’ve never heard about before, put everything I’ve worked so hard for my entire life into question,” Swiatek said.
