Taylor Fritz was quick to offer an instant reaction to Iga Swiatek’s failed drugs test.
On Thursday it was revealed that WTA world no.2 Swiatek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine back in August, three days before her first-round match in the Cincinnati Open.
The five-time Grand Slam champion only found out the results a month later in September.
Much has been made about this news, primarily because The International Tennis Integrity Agency, which is in charge of doping in tennis, announced the news in late November, months after her positive results came back.
Swiatek was provisionally suspended immediately but 22-days later her appeal was successful and she was allowed to compete at the recent WTA Finals and in the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
Now her one-month ban has been finalised she has just eight days left to serve.
Swiatek was found to be of “no significant fault or negligence” for the positive test, which occurred on August 12 – shortly before the Cincinnati Open.
Just like when the Jannik Sinner news broke – the Italian tested positive for banned substance Clostebol but quickly launched successful appeals to reverse the bans – reactions from players and fans has been strong.
That prompted World No.4 Fritz taking to social media to rant about those who took a biased position in response to the doping bans handed out in tennis.
“What drives me CRAZY about these situations (in terms of going on X) is not the actual cases themselves,” Fritz said on X.
“It’s fine to have your own honest opinions but what I can’t fathom and what is so upsetting to see as a player is the INSANE bias from the tennis public supporting whatever story pushes the agenda they want to be pushed.”
The 2024 US Open finalist went on to criticise those who change their position on doping depending on what player it is.
“If it’s a rival of the player you support that tests positive then you are on team “let’s call them a doper/cheater/disgrace them as much as possible” and if it’s your fav player that it’s about then it’s “innocent no questions asked,” Fritz added.
“How are you not able to remove your own personal bias and form an educated and honest opinion for yourself?
“Even if as the player, you can prove your innocence (not saying anyone is or isn’t) people that support rival players/have bias against you will always blindly push the narrative you are a cheater, and that fact really makes me sad for all the true innocent players that have to go through this.”
Other players took a less detailed-approach to the news with Canadian tennis player Dennis Shapovalov seemingly criticising the length of ban when he posted on X: “One month ban eh.”
2019 Wimbledon Champion Simona Halep has questioned why such a different approach was taken with her when she was handed a four year suspension in 2023 before it was reduced to nine months,
“I lost two years of my career, I lost many nights when I couldn’t sleep, thoughts, anxiety, questions without answers,” the former world number one said.
“How is it possible that in identical cases happening around the same time, ITIA to have completely different approaches to my detriment?”
Swiatek reacted to the news online herself explaining that it was out of her control but she hopes to return to tennis with a “clean slate.”
The four-time French Open champion will likely return to action on December 29 in the WTA’s United Cup in Australia.