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Iga Swiatek banned from tennis – will she get a second suspension in 2025?

The shockwaves from Iga Swiatek’s suspension from tennis will come to an end on December 4, but will the punishment be extended after she failed a drug test?

The five-time Grand Slam champion was ranked world No 1 when she provided a sample containing the angina medication trimetazidine in an out-of-competition test on August 12.

In a case that echoes of world No 1 Jannik Sinner’s failed drug test from last March, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted Swiatek’s positive test was a result of contamination of the regulated non-prescription medication melatonin, which Swiatek took for jet lag and sleep issues.

They declared Swiatek’s level of fault was to be at the lowest end of the range for ‘No Significant Fault or Negligence’.

That resulted in a one-month ban for Swiatek, with that decision sparking a huge debate among players who were treated very differently after they also failed drug tests.

Swiatek was provisionally suspended from September 22 until October 4, with the three tournaments the 23-year-old missed attributed to personal matters and a change of coach.

The Pole must serve an additional eight days to December 4 to make up the month, while she also forfeits her prize money from reaching the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test.

She gave her verdict in a lengthy video on her social media platforms with an emotional statement.

“I’m finally allowed… so I instantly want to share with you something that became the worst experience of my life,” said Swiatek.

“In the last and a half months I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence.

“The only positive doping test in my career, showing an 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.

“Both me and my team had to deal with tremendous stress and anxiety. Now everything has been carefully explained, and with a clean slate I can go back to what I love most. I know I will be stronger than ever.

“I’m leaving with you a long video and right now I’m just relieved it’s over. I want to be open with you, even though I know I did nothing wrong.

“Out of respect for my fans and the public, I’m sharing all the details of this longest and toughest tournament of my career. My biggest hope is that you will stay with me.”
Iga Swiatek

Nick Kyrgios is among those who have expressed their surprise over the verdict on Swiatek, with all eyes not on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as they consider their next move.

WADA challenged the ITIA decision on Sinner and have taken their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, arguing Sinner should be given a suspension from tennis of between one and two years after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance clostebol in March.

Given their stance in the Sinner case, WADA may now be expected to consider a similar appeal against Swiatek’s suspension that could extend her agony over this failed drug test well into 2025.

Yet both Sinner and Swiatek will be encouraged by the comments from Oliver Niggli, director of WADA, during an interview with L’Equipe, as he hinted the players may be victims of improved technology after minuscule amounts of the banned substances were found in their systems.

“Today there is a problem of contamination,” said Niggli. “There are no more (doping cheats) than before, but laboratories are more efficient in detecting infinitesimal quantities of doping substances. We will have to open a working table to understand how to manage this situation.

“The quantities found are so small that it is possible to become contaminated by doing even trivial things.

“I understand the public, who thinks we are naive and that we believe everything. But the reality is different. There is a problem.

“If we wanted to simplify our lives, we could impose new thresholds and not find all these cases. But the real question is: Are we ready to accept microdosing? Where do we stop?

“With thresholds, we wouldn’t have seen all these cases. What we need to understand is whether we are ready to accept microdosing and where it is right to stop. A working table will be created precisely for this type of reflection.”

There can be no denying that tennis has a huge credibility issue with two of its biggest stars now under a huge cloud of suspicion after failed drug tests, with the perception that the sport’s decision makers are showing extreme leniency in their punishments adding to the credibility issue that is now dominating the tennis agenda.

Corretja, on Nadal: “I don’t see Rafa as a coach or advisor for anyone”

The former Spanish tennis player talks about the possibility of a future in Rafa Nadal’s circuit: “I would see him more as an advisor for something big“.

It has been a few days already, although most of the world is still processing the fact that Andy Murray is the new coach of Novak Djokovic. From a historic rivalry on the court, the former British tennis player, who retired last July at Wimbledon with his loved ones, surprises the entire planet by announcing his next adventure: accompanying the Serbian player on the circuit as his coach. This unexpected move raises new questions about possible scenarios that could unfold in the future.

One of those questions is: Can you imagine Rafa Nadal becoming a coach on the circuit in the coming months? Àlex Corretja has hardly any doubts about his answer: “From my point of view, it is impossible, 99.9% impossible, because one can never take anything for granted in life,” confessed the former Spanish player speaking with Eurosport.

“I would see him more as an advisor for something big…”

Rafael Nadal

“It would surprise me a lot. I think he will need some time to think about what he really wants to do. I have the impression that, although he has children and is busy at home, Andy has less to do in his daily life. Rafa lives in Manacor and has his academy, so I don’t see him traveling much. Maybe Andy still wanted to travel, have these experiences. I don’t see Rafa as a coach or advisor for anyone. I would see him more as an advisor for something big like Real Madrid, contributing something to the club by giving some talks,” explained Corretja. “I envision it for a short period of time, three or six months, but not an everyday thing.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Corretja, sobre Nadal: “No veo a Rafa como entrenador o asesor de nadie”

Over the weekend, DDG shared a video on Instagram featuring Angel Reese, where he raps along to his newly released song, “WHAT U BAD FOR.” In the clip, DDG stands next to Reese, and fans couldn’t help but notice the height difference between them. DDG himself commented on the situation, joking, “she had heels on, we the same height I swear,” acknowledging the playful exchange about their stature.

Despite the focus on their height, DDG and Reese were actually promoting the track, which also features Real Boston Richey. The song touches on DDG’s recent breakup with Halle Bailey, where he reflects on his son, Halo, and his connection to Bailey. “Thing about Halo mommy, you know that’s my baby forever,” DDG raps, speaking to his love for his child and his ex. However, some listeners felt that a stronger beat could have made the song’s emotional message hit harder.

The breakup between DDG and Halle Bailey has sparked ongoing curiosity, especially after the couple welcomed their son Halo not long ago. While DDG has admitted that he still hasn’t fully moved on, Halle Bailey has remained more reserved, only publicly addressing issues like DDG taking Halo to a Kai Cenat stream without informing her. Despite the drama, both stars have defended each other amid online criticism, always trying to support one another in their personal lives.

The playful height joke might seem trivial, but it seems to have sparked enough attention to bring more focus to DDG’s relationship with Halle, which remains a key emotional thread in his music. Whether this tactic was intentional or not, it’s a reminder of how even lighthearted moments can lead to deeper discussions about a celebrity’s personal life. We’ll see what other antics emerge next in this ongoing saga.

Angel Reese Posts One-Word Reaction to Hailey Van Lith’s Career Game

NCAA women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith recently led the TCU Horned Frogs to a 76-73 win over NC State, earning an upset victory over the No. 13 Wolfpack.

Van Lith posted her first career 10-assist double-double, finishing the game with 18 points and 10 assists while shooting 8-of-24 from the field.

She took to social media to share a few photos from the game.

“chop wood carry water,” Van Lith captioned the post.

Van Lith’s former teammate with the LSU Tigers, Angel Reese, who currently plays for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA, commented on the post.

Reese agreed with Van Lith’s statement, posting her thoughts on the post in the comment section.

“EXACTLY,” Reese said,

Angel Reese
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JUNE 01: Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky looks on against the Indiana Fever during the first quarter in the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 01, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Reese and Van Lith shared the court together with the LSU Tigers during the 2023-24 season. The two led the Tigers to a 31-6 record which ultimately had them listed as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Following her sole season at LSU (2023-24), Van Lith transferred to TCU, where she’s playing her fifth season of college basketball.

Van Lith started her college career in 2020. She played three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals, transferred to LSU for one season and is now leading the Horned Frogs.

TCU stands at 4-0 on the season under Van Lith’s lead, with wins against the Houston Christian Huskies, New Orleans Privateers, Texas State Bobcats and NC State Wolfpack.

Angel Reese is switching it up with her looks, and her latest doesn’t disappoint.

Today, the Chicago Sky forward took to her Instagram Story to show off her new hairstyle. She posed in the mirror with her hair done in long braids, while wearing a black and pink Barbie sports bra and black shorts.

Also in the photo, Reese showed off her abs, complete with a flashy belly button ring.

The WNBA superstar has been known to show out with her fits, even her most cozy and relaxed ones. But it never hurts to take advice from elders in the fashion game.

Yesterday, Reese dropped an episode of her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast, which featured celebrity stylist Law Roach.

Roach has styled some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Zendaya, Celine Dion, Ariana Grande, and more. During the chat, Roach expressed happiness over the fact that the fashion industry is paying attention to WNBA tunnel fits.

“I like the tunnel fits,” Roach said. “I love the way the fashion industry and designers respecting that now. Because they didn’t used to pay attention to athletes, and now, they’re paying attention to athletes.”

Roach also said that Reese’s dream to walk in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show isn’t too far off. And with her confidence and inventive fashions, we must say we’re in agreement!

Angel Reese Drops 3 Powerful Words After Inspiring 5-Star Talent Architect Major Upset

“When they sleep on you, tuck them in!” Angel Reese had written in her caption while posting on ‘HAPPY REEBOK X ANGEL DAY!!’ three months ago. While many would have thought that the post was done and dusted, there were a million fans who took inspiration from it. And one of them is an NCAA star who as the season started has converted that inspiration into action and upset a team.

After Harvard’s upset over No. 25 Indiana, Harmoni Turner shared that she took a major dose of inspiration from the Chi-Town Barbie which helped her decimate the other team. “Keep sleeping… taking the quote from @Reese10Angel “ when they sleeping on you, tuck em in” great team win! proud of us,’” she stated, and now Reese has reacted to the same. After the quote was tweeted by Harmoni on Friday, Reese reshared the tweet with her three-word message “heard you sis!”

The Harvard Crimson clashed with the Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday in what was their second game of the regular season, defeating them by a 72-68 margin. At one point in time, the Hoosiers led the game with a 60-57 margin which was the largest lead for Indiana. However, Turner played a crucial role as she hit a free throw and then made a jumper that leveled the score. If that wasn’t enough, she assisted Alayna Rocco who got the score to 63-all, and the game went into overtime.

Even during the OT, Turner made a pair of layups before assisting Mona Zaric make a jumper. All this culminated in the Crimson upending the No. 25 ranked Indiana. Notably, Turner had the game’s highest 24 points with 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and 6 steals, assuming the leadership role for her team. She also made 10 out of 17 field goals, thus rescuing the Crimson during crucial moments, and surely Reese was to be thanked for her motivational ideas.

The five-star guard had committed to Harvard in 2019 and from 2021 has been plying her trade with utmost sincerity. It is only a matter of time before she makes a name for herself just like Reese. Meanwhile, Turner isn’t the only star that the Chi-Town Barbie has impacted.

Angel Reese inspires Louisiana girls’ basketball players and more

Angel Reese

When Angel Reese & the Lady Tigers. decimated their opponents one after another, finally clinching the Championship title during the 2022-23 season, it sent waves across Louisiana. Inspired by the exceptional success of LSU, Central High School girls’ basketball coach Krystal Huggins-Flowers credited the Chicago star for having a brilliant season. “You know, pay attention to Angel Reese. Do you see her passion? Do you see her fight?,” Huggins-Flowers remarked on being asked one message she would like to give her mentees. However, that was just the beginning.

Even Central High School senior Ty’Reona Sibley revealed that she was planning for Southeastern Louisiana next year and had an amazing learning experience watching the Lady Tigers. “Just seeing them play the game, work hard, and all they were doing, it helped me to keep going and keep pushing,” Sibley enunciated.

This is not it. The Sky No. 5 understands her reach and has always been forthcoming in ensuring that the young girls know they can look up to her. Back in July, an adorable fan came to Reese and asked what motivated her. The seventh-overall pick did not take a second to respond, “Girls like you. Little girls that look up to me. Being able to wake up every day and know that little eyes are watching me. I hope one day that you can do what I’m doing.”

After inspiring a junior NCAA star, Reese has once again proven that she continues to break barriers in women’s sports. Hopefully, someday all those who emulated her will be playing next to her in the WNBA.

Iga Swiatek confirms whether she will be in attendance when Rafael Nadal retires at the Davis Cup

Tennis players both past and present want to attend the Davis Cup finals to see Rafael Nadal’s last match.

The 22-time Grand Slam is set to bring an end to a remarkable career spanning over two decades.

Nadal has chosen to play his last tournament on home soil and be surrounded by his competitors at a tournament he has won five times in the past.

It is now the hottest tennis ticket in town and thousands want to pay tribute to one of the all-time greats, but will French Open winner Iga Swiatek, one of his biggest fans, be in attendance?

Will Iga Swiatek be at the Davis Cup finals for Rafael Nadal’s farewell?

Rafael Nadal

It is well documented how influential Rafael Nadal has been on Swiatek and her career.

She has praised him on numerous occasions and like many is saddened to hear that the 38-year-old will be retiring soon.

The likes of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have expressed their desire to be in Malaga to pay tribute to Nadal when he retires, but Swiatek will not be attending.

“I have my vacation scheduled. It’s hard to pick that. It will be impossible to get there anyway as I heard it’s all booked already and the ticket sales are crazy,” the Pole said during her WTA Finals press conference.

“Maybe I will watch it on TV, but I already had a chance to text with Rafa a bit and thank him for everything he’s done. I will be following him anyway, no matter if he’s still playing or not.”

Iga Swiatek posted video tribute to Rafael Nadal after he announced his retirement

Tributes poured in for Nadal after he released a video on social media announcing his retirement.

Swiatek shared a video message online, thanking Nadal for his contributions to tennis and inspiring her.

“You were and still are the biggest inspiration that I ever had in tennis and the reason why sometimes I got extra motivated and kept pushing myself,” she said.

“Thank you for that and thank you for being such an amazing person off the court as well. Your humility is something that is not so often [seen] when you see other athletes succeeding.

“You’re the one that always stayed honest with himself and true to himself. Thank you for being a really good person.”

Nadal will meet Bautista in Mallorca to prepare for the Davis Cup

11 days before the start of the Davis Cup Final 8 in Málaga, Rafa Nadal and Roberto Bautista will prepare together. The [simple] fact is that Nadal will host his fellow countryman in Mallorca, at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where they will train for the next three days, according to MARCA. Nadal, who will conclude his career at this major event at home, wants to intensify his training and get into a rhythm for the start of the competition on November 19. And what better way than with the player from Castellón, with whom he lifted the cup in 2019.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Nadal recibirá a Bautista en Mallorca para preparar la Copa Davis

WNBA All-Star Angel Reese has signed a multi-year partnership extension with sportswear brand Reebok and will be launching her own signature sneaker in 2026.

The move will mean that Reese becomes only the second WNBA player to receive a signature shoe from the brand. Reese joins other female basketball stars with signature shoe deals, including Breanna Stewart with Puma and Caitlin Clark with Nike.

Commenting on working on her signature shoe, Reese said in a statement: “We’ve already kicked off the design process, and it means the world to me to have Reebok’s full support and confidence with this shoe and overall partnership.

“A signature shoe has always been a dream of mine, and I want all the young girls out there to remember that anything is possible.”

The announcement follows Reese’s first collaborative footwear and apparel collection, ‘Reebok by Angel,’ which launched in August, and Reebok unveiling its first new performance basketball sneaker since the early 2010s, the ‘Engine A,’ slated for release in spring of 2025.

Reebok sees basketball as a focal point of its long-term strategy plan to reclaim its position as a dominant player in sport and sports culture, and Reese signing an extension comes on the heels of three new player signings by Reebok Basketball, including 5-star NIL prospect, Nate Amentt, the youngest pro hooper in USA history Dink Pate, and Bulls rookie star Matas Buzelis.

Ferrer optimistic about Nadal: “My idea after talking to him is that he is ready to play”

The Davis Cup Finals will take place from November 19 to 24, 2024 in Malaga, Spain

We have entered the month of November, the month when Rafael Nadal will play the last competition of his career, the Davis Cup, in front of his home crowd in Malaga. Spain will face off against the Netherlands on November 19 in the quarter-finals and the main question remains whether Nadal will line up in singles. For Spanish team captain David Ferrer, who gave an interview to the Spanish daily Marca, it is a possibility, even if his compatriot has not played singles in official competition since the Paris Olympic Games.

“I’m the captain and I’m the one who has to decide. I have a lot of confidence in Rafa because I’ve lived with him all my career and I know his honesty if he sees himself capable of competing or not. My idea after talking to him is that he’s ready to play.”

“I spoke with Rafa on Wednesday, I am also in constant contact with his coach Carlos Moya and his agent Carlos Costa. They update me very regularly. I’ll decide in Malaga, when I see how he trains. But the same will happen with the rest of the players. If Nadal trains at a good level and is in good physical shape, that’s an alternative, of course.”

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Ferrer sees Nadal as future Davis Cup captain

David Ferrer has the advantage of knowing Rafael Nadal very well. The two men have faced each other 32 times on the ATP Tour (26-6 for the Mallorcan) and have shared victorious Davis Cup weekends for many years. The captain of the Spanish team wants Nadal to leave the professional circuit through the front door, lifting a fifth silver bowl.

“I would be very satisfied if he finished happy and playing well. Does it mean to win? Well yes, the ideal would be a victory, but not for me but for everything he has achieved. The problem is that it’s something you can’t control. What happens in Malaga will not change his life or career. But on a personal level, I would like him to leave tennis with good memories.”