Denis Shapovalov is unhappy with the outcome of Iga Swiatek‘s doping case. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday that the Pole accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance.

In a statement, the ITIA stated that Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine in an out-of-competition sample in August. They said that the positive test was due to contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication (melatonin) that Swiatek was taking for jet lag and sleep issues.

After the news became public, Shapovalov took to social media to question the outcome of the issue. Later, while replying to a fan, he said that the quick resolution to Swiatek’s case is in stark contrast with the ordeals faced by others, like Simona Halep and Mikael Ymer.

that doesn’t make it fair that players Halep and others had a crazy long bans for similar things. I’m glad it’s changing because the doping rules are unfair. But guys like Ymer are still suspended and he’s never even tested positive.

Another fan asked the Canadian why he was complaining about the changing rules, which he had deemed unfair. In reply, Shapovalov once again stated that he was not happy with the inconsistency.

Swiatek has since issued an apology for the positive dope test. She said that she was relieved to have been deemed innocent and stated that she was looking forward to resuming her career with a clean slate.

Iga Swiatek escaped with minimal punishment, especially when compared to what other players have had to go through to prove their innocence. As mentioned by Denis Shapovalov, Simona Halep and Mikael Ymer saw their worlds turned upside down in their fight to prove their innocence.

Halep had tested positive for the banned drug Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open, where she lost in the first round to Daria Snigur. She was immediately hit with a four-year ban, which would have expired in 2026.

The Romanian expressed innocence and appealed the ruling. She stated that she was exposed to a contaminated supplement, which caused her failed drug test. While the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said that Halep bore “some level of fault or negligence” for not exercising “sufficient care” while using the said contaminated supplement, it also ruled that she bore “no significant fault or negligence” and thus cleared her.

Halep was allowed to resume her tennis career after CAS reduced her doping ban to nine months. However, by the time she was declared innocent, the former World No. 1 had already spent more than nine months on the sidelines.

Similarly, Mikael Ymer also had a tough time fighting his charges. He was banned for 18 months after being recorded as a “no show” for three out-of-competition doping tests during a 12-month period in 2021. While the Swede accepted his first two missed tests, he argued that the third was due to a miscommunication with his agent.

Ymer fought the charges and was initially cleared by an independent tribunal. However, the ITF appealed this decision, and CAS partially upheld the original two-year ban and ended up imposing an 18-month suspension on him in July 2023.

Unhappy with the ruling, Ymer, in a shock move, announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 24. However, earlier this year, he stated that he had a change of heart and that he will return to action after he finishes serving out his suspension.