IGA SWIATEK admitted today she feared a more negative reaction to her doping ban and sees no reason for the case to drag on.

The Pole was handed a one-month suspension in November after a positive test for the angina medication trimetazidine, which the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted was caused by contamination of a medicine Swiatek was taking to help combat jet lag.

It was the second high-profile doping case to hit the sport in a matter of months following men’s world number one Jannik Sinner’s two failed tests, for which he did not receive a ban.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed that decision and Sinner still has the threat of a suspension hanging over him, but Swiatek is not expecting a similar outcome in her situation.

She served a brief provisional suspension, causing her to miss three tournaments in the autumn, before completing the ban during the off-season once her punishment was announced.

Addressing the matter for the first time at a press conference ahead of the United Cup in Australia, the first tournament of the new season, Swiatek said of the possibility of a Wada appeal: “Well I don’t think there is any reason, because I didn’t play three tournaments.

“I was suspended for a long time and I lost [world] number one because of that. I also know how the procedure worked, and I gave every possible evidence and 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.”

Of the reaction, she said: “After the information about my case was released, I was scared that most of the people are going to turn their back on me. But I felt the support and it’s great.

“Obviously there are going to be some negative comments and you’re not going to avoid that. I just have to accept that and I don’t really care about those, honestly.”