"The lesson for me is that I won't always be in control of everything. Whether I can play tennis or not depends on factors that are not entirely within my control. These situations have to be dealt with," the WTA world runner-up said at the start of the interview. She added that the case has strengthened her, as evidenced by her quick return to the court.
Swiatek found out she might have serious problems from an email during a photo shoot.
"I knew I had to complete it, but my reaction was very violent. Actually it was a mixture of incomprehension, panic and there was a lot of crying," described the Rashinian woman.
At first she thought it was some kind of mistake. She did not understand the situation she was in. The name of the banned substance was completely unfamiliar to her.
The Pole was suspended and could not play in the next three tournaments: Seoul, Wuhan and Beijing. When asked who was to blame, the tennis player replied that the anti-doping system was to blame, but certainly not her.
Better treated than Majchrzak and Halep?
"First of all, this is a question more for ITIA and not for the player. My fate, like the others, is in their hands and they decide how each case will turn out. I trust that this process is objective and no one judges us differently because of our position.
"But that is a question for them. From my perspective, I can say that this process was demanding and there was no saying that it would end after two and a half months," she added.
The world number two realises that even with ITIA's equal treatment she was in a more comfortable position than many others.
"Certainly, my position meant that I gathered people around me who immediately stepped up to the plate to take care of things.
"Certainly, the fact that I've already made a pile of money and can spend it on my defence virtually without blinking an eye has helped. I know a lot of athletes don't have that option and that can hold them back."
It was very helpful that she still had the drug, which had been questioned, and it could be tested. In an interview with Anita Werner, Swiatek admitted that others are not so lucky.
"The truth is that I was very lucky anyway. Just the fact that I had that melatonin with me - something I could test for - that is some luck in this situation. I know that some athletes don't have such a clear situation after a month or two, they struggle with such problems for years."
Swiatek hired a lawyer who specialises in such cases. She spent $70,000 on him and about €15,000 on tests and experts. In total, therefore, the athlete spent the equivalent of around 400 thousand zloty on her defence.
"The most important thing was that I could prove my innocence. I love playing tennis, but not enough to sacrifice my honour," she admitted.
Asked about the need for change (today the standards for drug manufacturers are less strict than for players), the top Polish tennis player admitted that this is exactly what she hopes for.
"Without a doubt, the regulations need to be updated, that's what the experts are saying by the way, and I'm just repeating their words. Laboratories will become more and more precise, contamination of the drug in terms of athletes' problems is not a priority for manufacturers.
"We need to keep this in mind, we need to take care of ourselves and hopefully there will be an opportunity in the future."
Little guilt and a small penalty
Swiatek was suspended for a month by an ITIA decision. A sample was taken from the 23-year-old tennis player on exactly August 12th, just after the end of the Olympic Games in Paris, where she won a bronze medal.
The ITIA investigation determined that the positive test result was due to contamination of the over-the-counter drug melatonin, manufactured and sold in Poland, which the athlete had been taking for jet lag and sleep problems, and that the violation was not intentional.
This was found after interviews with the tennis player and her entourage, investigations and analyses at two WADA-accredited laboratories.
As reported by ITIA, the investigation found "no significant fault or negligence" on the part of the tennis player, and she was therefore offered a one-month disqualification.
On November 27th, Swiatek admitted to breaking anti-doping rules and accepted the punishment.
The 30-day period of the Raschenian's exclusion from play passed on December 4th and she will be able to start the new season without any problems at the end of the year.
However, this is not the end of the matter. The ITIA's decision will be considered by the World Anti-Doping Agency, which can appeal to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.