'I was scared': Former world No.1 Iga Swiatek admits fear of backlash amid doping saga
Iga Swiatek admits she was frightened of the reaction over her positive doping test after accepting a one-month suspension.
The world No.2 tested positive in an out-of-competition sample in August to a banned substance and was given a one-month ban by the ITIA.
The results were found while Swiatek was world No.1 but the ITIA accepted that the test outcome was caused by a contamination to her sleeping medication.
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Swiatek's short ban ended on December 4, making her eligible to compete in all tournaments on Australian soil.
Iga Swiatek cools off against Jessica Pegula of the United States. Getty
Ahead of her United Cup campaign, the five-time grand slam winner expressed her gratitude over the positive response from the general public to her doping case.
"The reaction in Poland basically - because this is mostly what I read - has been pretty supportive," Swiatek said.
"I really, really appreciate that because even, you know, when I missed the China swing and nobody knew why it wasn't so easy.
"After the information about my case was released, I was scared that most people are going to turn their back on me but I felt the support and it's great."
Swiatek's results came just months after men's world No.1 Jannik Sinner escaped without a ban for two positive tests to anabolic steroids, a decision which has been appealed against by WADA.
When asked about the differences between her own case and Sinner's, Swiatek said she does not see "any reason" for WADA to appeal her case.
"I was suspended for a long time and I lost number one because of that," she said.
"I also know the procedure worked and I gave every possible evidence.
"There is not much, honestly, to do more. So I'm not expecting an appeal but I have no influence on what's going to happen."
Iga Swiatek speaks to the media before her United Cup campaign with Poland. Getty
Sinner's case has received heavy backlash from many in the tennis world including Australian star Nick Kyrgios, who has been a vocal critic of the handling of the results.
But Swiatek admits the criticism from fellow competitors and alleged 'double standards' flagged about the top players is not something she has managed to escape lightly.
"Obviously there are going to be some negative comments and you're not going to avoid that," she said.
"That's something that is always going to kind of follow us no matter what happens."
