Iga Swiatek opens up about anti-doping anxiety and the constant pressure on players amid her scandal

"Honestly, after a couple of years, you think about this all the time. It causes a bit of anxiety. I’m not just talking about myself, because in a way I’ve gotten used to the system and I’ve been through the worst, and I was able to come back and sort it out, which makes me feel like nothing can stop me. I also talk about other players: it’s not easy, the whole system is very tough."

Iga Swiatek said in a recent presser

Swiatek was banned for one month last year. The authorities found that the melatonin she took to help her sleep had been contaminated with a banned substance called trimetazidine. Sinner is now serving a three-month ban after a banned chemical entered his system through a spray his physiotherapist used to treat a cut.

"I didn’t have much control over what happened to me, and I can imagine that other players feel that fear that it could happen to them. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with everything about giving your location and what needs to be done at the system level. Every day, while we travel, we have to literally say where we are. If we forget, we might have a ‘not present,’ and with three misses, you get penalized. There’s a lot of pressure with that, and it’s not easy to handle, but it is what it is."

Iga Swiatek added

Swiatek understands why players are anxious. The doping system also requires athletes to report where they will be for one hour each day, all year long. If they miss three checks, they can be punished, which adds to the pressure.

Iga Swiatek involved in a battle for World No.2 in Madrid

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek starts the Madrid Open as the world No. 2, but her spot is not safe. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff are close behind her in the rankings. Both have a chance to move up depending on how they perform in Madrid.

Swiatek currently has 7,383 ranking points. Pegula has 6,208, and Gauff has 6,073. That looks like a big gap, but Swiatek has 1,000 points to defend as last year’s champion. So far this year, she has only 10 points at the event, which drops her live total to 6,393.

Pegula didn’t play in Madrid last year, so she has no points to defend. With just a small gain, her live total is 6,218. Gauff reached the fourth round in 2024, so she loses only 110 points and sits at 5,963. That means Swiatek’s lead over Pegula is just 175 points and only 430 points over Gauff.

If Swiatek wins the title again, she keeps her No. 2 ranking no matter what. But if she loses in the final or earlier, and Pegula or Gauff go deep in the tournament, the rankings could change. If Gauff beats Swiatek in the semis and wins the title, she could move to No. 2, pushing Swiatek down to No. 4.

Alexandra Eala set to play rematch against Iga Swiatek

At just 19 years old, Alexandra Eala shows impressive calmness—especially after her surprising run in Miami last month. Many fans were shocked by her performance. Even Eala admitted she didn’t expect it herself.

Ranked No. 140 going into the tournament, Eala had never beaten a Top 100 player in a WTA event. But in Miami, she took down three Grand Slam winners — Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek — on her way to the semifinals.

Now, she’ll need to find that same mindset again as she plays her second-round match at the Mutua Madrid Open. After her solid 6-3, 6-2 win over Viktoriya Tomova, she’s set for a quick rematch with Swiatek, who has the best clay record of any active player.

In their first match, Eala won 6-2, 7-5 in a big upset. She broke Swiatek’s serve three times and stayed aggressive. Swiatek later said Eala “went all out” and hit the ball “so flat.” The Polish star also had 32 unforced errors—something rarely seen from her.