Women’s tennis star Iga Swiatek, the winner of five Grand Slams, has accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday. 

Swiatek, who has been ranked No. 1 in the world for most of the past two seasons, tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication better known as TMZ, in an out-of-competition test back in August. 

The ITIA accepted her explanation that the results weren’t intentional, saying it was caused by contamination of a nonprescription medication, melatonin, which she uses for issues with jet lag and sleeping. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The ITIA stated that Swiatek’s level of fault was “at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence.”

Swiatek was previously suspended from Sept. 12 to Oct. 4, missing three tournaments over that span — Korea Open, China Open and Wuhan Open — though she said at the time it was due to personal reasons.

US TENNIS STAR DANIELLE COLLINS RIPS POLAND’S IGA SWIATEK AFTER OLYMPICS MATCH: ‘I DON’T NEED THE FAKENESS’

Swiatek has only eight days remaining on the punishment, which will be served while there’s no competition.

So, she will be cleared to return on Monday. 

Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates her win over Coco Gauff of the United States in the semifinal on Day 12 of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on June 6. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)

Along with the suspension, Swiatek has to forfeit $158,944 of prize money from the Cincinnati Open, which she played in after failing the test. She ultimately lost in the semifinals.

In an Instagram video, Swiatek reacted to the ITIA’s decision, calling it the “worst experience of my life.”

“In the last two and a half months, I was subject to strict ITIA proceedings, which confirmed my innocence,” Swiatek said in the video. “The only positive doping test in my career, showing 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.”

Iga Swiatek practices ahead of the Omnium Banque Nationale on Aug. 4, 2023.  (Patrice Lapointe/Tennis Canada via Omnium Banque Nationale)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Another high-profile doping case came in tennis with Jannik Sinner, who failed two tests for a steroid in March. He was eventually cleared in August right before the US Open, which he went on to win for his second Grand Slam. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Jennifer Garner and her family are mourning the loss of their beloved dog, Birdie.

Garner shared a post dedicated to the dog on Instagram Wednesday, sharing a touching tribute to the family pet.

“It seems nuts, given the world, to mourn a pet, but since we have shared Birdie with all of you, it only seems fair to let you know of her passing,” the “Deadpool & Wolverine” star wrote.

JENNIFER GARNER NEVER THOUGHT SHE’D BE AN ACTOR: ‘IT’S ALWAYS BEEN HARD FOR ME’

“Birdie let us know on Thursday that she wasn’t feeling herself (a renowned foodie, Birdie never missed a meal). We were surprised to learn that, not only was she very ill, she was at the end of her life,” she continued.

APP USERS CLICK HERE

According to Garner, their vet told them that “dogs often hang on until their person comes home from college and we believe Birdie did just that, so that we could pet her soft ears together and thank her for being the world’s best dog,” referring to her oldest child, Violet Affleck.

Garner added that Birdie loved to be read to and “always found her way into a Pretend Cooking Show,” her on and off cooking series on Instagram.

Birdie was a nine-year-old golden retriever, dubbed “the world’s best dog” by Garner. (Jennifer Garner Instagram)

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

“She lived a happy dog life and is now in the role she was born to play: angel girl. It’s a gift to love and be loved by such a creature as Birdie the Doggie,” the “Alias” star concluded.

Earlier this year, Garner and Birdie were featured on the YouTube channel WeRateDogs, sharing sweet details ahead of the dog’s ninth birthday, including being a therapy dog at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

“She wants to read some new books for kids. And speaking of kids, Birdie is a therapy dog,” the 52-year-old said. “And she just got a promotion to work at Children’s Hospital L.A. So she’s excited. She wants to have her first time at Children’s Hospital L.A. before she turns nine.”

Garner said in an interview that Birdie was starting work as a therapy dog at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

The mom of three, including Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel with ex-husband Ben Affleck, also shared the story of the family’s decision to get a dog. 

She explained when Violet was two she “decided she needed her own dog,” but Garner said she’d have to wait until she was 10. “I thought she’d forget because she was just two, but now, we have Birdie.”

Garner’s famous friends shared their condolences in the comments.

Garner said her eldest child, Violet Affleck, wanted a dog when she was just two, and they waited until she was 10 to adopt Birdie. (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Oh Jen…I’m so sorry. Sending so much love,” Jennifer Aniston wrote.

Her chef pal Ina Garten wrote, “Oh Jennifer, I’m heartbroken for you!!! She was the best buddy and always up for an adventure with all of you. Sending my love to you and the kids. I’m so glad they’re home with you now. Birdie will be eating turkey in heaven.”

Rita Wilson wrote, “So so sorry!!!! They’re family,” adding a broken heart emoji.

Prominent election analyst Nate Silver appeared unconvinced after Harris staffers tried to explain away their candidate’s lack of interviews along the 2024 campaign trail.

During a Wednesday appearance on “Pod Save America,” campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon claimed that President-elect Trump got “no sh—” for his small number of traditional media interviews—while Vice President Kamala Harris received significant criticism.

O’Malley Dillon would go on to call the critique a “double standard.”

A transcript of the staffer’s comments quickly drew the attention of Silver—who attempted to throw cold water on the narrative pushed by the Harris campaign.

HARRIS NEVER LED TRUMP, INTERNAL POLLS SHOWED — BUT DNC OFFICIALS WERE KEPT IN THE DARK

“Harris didn’t do a solo network interview until late September. Which who cares, fine, the networks don’t matter so much,” he said. “Then she did a bunch toward the end of the race. But she was legit not doing a lot of traditional media. That was the campaign’s choice, not some conspiracy.”

“The Harris campaign folks are the most non-agentic people I’ve encountered in a position of comparable decision-making authority. They don’t even see themselves as victims so much as non-player characters with no will of their own,” he added.

A non-playable character is a video game term that references characters not controllable by the player. Instead, they are directed by software programming. 

The Harris campaign aides have faced widespread backlash from both sides of the aisles—with some suggesting they took no accountability in the post-election podcast interview.

ILHAN OMAR BLASTS HARRIS-WALZ CAMPAIGN FOR COURTING LIZ CHENEY: ‘HUGE MISSTEP’

New York Times reporter Astead Herndon and “Pod Save America” podcast co-host Jon Favreau launched barbs at each other over a recent podcast interview featuring Harris campaign staff stating why Vice President Kamala Harris lost. (Bennett Raglin / Stringer | Slaven Vlasic / Stringer)

“Pod Save America” host Dan Pfeiffer spoke with O’Malley Dillon, David Plouffe, Quentin Fulks and Stephanie Cutter in the Harris campaign’s first major interview since the vice president’s loss to President-elect Trump. Online progressives sharply criticized the questioning and the defensive posture by the guests.

The Harris aides complained about media coverage and repeatedly cited their time crunch of just over 100 days to put together a campaign, which was due to President Biden going effectively unchallenged in the Democratic primary and not dropping out until three weeks after a disastrous June debate with Trump.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

CNN’s Bakari Sellers, a Harris supporter, said during an interview on the network on Wednesday that the podcast interview was “disappointing at best,” panning “their lack of self-awareness, their lack of self-reflection.”

“It was reminiscent of a Kamala Harris interview: nothing is actually said. No one answers the question. No interview push back,” Tricia McLaughlin, a Republican strategist, wrote of the Harris campaign aides’ interview.

Fox News’ Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.

A liberal columnist for The New York Times has once again handed her Thanksgiving opinion piece over to her Trump-loving brother—with one prerequisite: don’t gloat.

“My Brother is Doing the Trump Dance,” explained the headline for opinion columnist Maureen Dowd’s story on Thursday She insisted that amid critics’ skepticism, her brother Kevin is very much real.

Kevin began his piece by noting that—despite years of labeling President-elect Trump as a racist, dictator and Hitler, Democrats are spending the holiday season “eating a giant helping of crow.”

“Somehow this racist dictator was able to assemble a new coalition of Black, Hispanic, middle-class and working-class voters,” he wrote. “Maybe it’s because nobody wants to live in the kind of country that the Biden-Harris administration and its leftist bedfellows created.”

DEMOCRATS NO LONGER ‘PARTY OF THE PEOPLE’ AS TRUMP TRANSFORMS REPUBLICAN PARTY: NY TIMES ANALYST

Taking note of concerns about Trump’s January 6 involvement, Kevin said the ensuing “lawfare” against the president-elect only served to strengthen his support.

He cited Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, who warned of media distrust. Kevin claimed that the “wildly slanted” coverage of Trump—in addition to Vice President Kamala Harris’ failure to attend Joe Rogan’s podcast, was a significant factor in the election.

“Some of the same Democrats who tried to tell us Biden wasn’t in decline then tried to tell us Harris was an exciting, transformative force. Please,” Kevin wrote.

He also offered advice to Trump, urging him to avoid getting bogged down in “petty disputes and perceived slights” that may hinder his presidency.

NYT ADVICE COLUMN PONDERS HOW DEMOCRATS SHOULD DEAL WITH TRUMP-SUPPORTING FAMILY MEMBERS

Maureen Dowd’s brother, Kevin, chided liberals: ‘Somehow this racist dictator was able to assemble a new coalition of Black, Hispanic, middle-class and working-class voters.’  (Photo: Alexandra Schuler/dpa (Photo by Alexandra Schuler/picture alliance via Getty Images))

The guest opinion columnist called on Trump to close the border, remove unnecessary regulations, end the “war on fossil fuels,” and cancel electric vehicle mandates while in office.

“No matter how maddening Trump can be, the country needs him,” Kevin wrote. “The wind is truly at his back. The election was decided not just by MAGA rallygoers but also by millions of voters who’d simply had enough.”

Kevin ended the piece by promising that he would teach the “Trump Shuffle” to his sister.

“As I ease into my twilight years. I want to thank Trump for letting me sleep safely and sound again,” he concluded. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Liberal MSNBC host Joy Reid offered a Thanksgiving lecture on Wednesday night directed at Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump supporters, and said, “Make your own dinner, MAGA.”

During “The Reidout,” Reid said at the end of her show, “You right-wingers shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of your votes? ‘You don’t want to be around me because I voted for fascism. No fair. I am coughing on you with COVID, but you want me to wear a mask for your safety? No fair. My body, my choice’. Well here’s an alternative thought, make your own dinner, MAGA. Make your own sandwiches, wipe your own tears, troll amongst yourselves with Elon and leave us alone.”

Reid accused Republicans of worshiping Trump “instead of Jesus,” during the rant. 

“But if you expect the 73 million who voted for the prosecutor, not the felon and particularly the 92% of Black women who voted for Kamala to give you a cookie for your vote, a trophy, a hug, a high-five, you might be asking too much. If we want to eat with you, we will. But if we want some peace over the holidays and we don’t want to put up with your trolling while we eat our Tofurky, get over it,” the liberal host continued. 

JOY REID SUGGESTS BIDEN RECOVERING FROM COVID IS ‘EXACTLY THE SAME THING’ AS TRUMP SURVIVING ASSASSINATION

Reid continued, “Stop acting like we owe you.”

“Our Thanksgiving, our choice,” she said. 

Reid opened the segment by taking aim at people who voted for Trump who feel upset that liberals might not want to share Thanksgiving dinner with them after the election. 

MSNBC host Joy Reid speaks during MSNBC’s coverage of the Democratic National Convention. (MSNBC/Screenshot)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Over the past few weeks, Reid fumed at Latino voters, and told them that they own “everything” that happens to their families. 

She also declared that Black women were no longer interested in saving America after the results. 

Reid spoke directly to White female progressives in a TikTok video posted after the election, telling them to keep Black women off their invite lists if they plan to organize in protest of Trump’s victory.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I just want to give some free advice to the White progressive women who may be thinking about marching against the Trump victory, maybe putting back on the P-word hats and doing that thing, I would just say probably don’t send any of those invites to any Black women. I’m just going to tell you right now they’re not coming,” she said.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. argued that slightly more expensive imports from Mexico are an easy price to pay when American lives are on the line.

“If Donald Trump‘s mass deportation plans were to take effect, there are estimates from the USDA that show nearly half of all agricultural workers in this country are undocumented, including by at least one count, a majority of dairy workers,” CNN host Boris Sanchez said. “How is the Trump Administration planning to mass deport those workers without disrupting the nation‘s supply of food?”

“Well, here‘s what‘s really been inflationary,” Van Orden began. “The last four years of the radical, out of control Biden spending with this Inflation Reduction Act, that’s what has caused inflation.”

The congressman then argued that imports like guacamole pale in importance compared to the health of American citizens.

TRUMP LIKELY TO MAKE SEVERAL BORDER SECURITY MOVES ON FIRST DAY, SAYS EXPERT

“If it means that I have to pay more for guacamole, but fentanyl poison does not come across the Canadian and Mexican border, and our mothers and sisters and brothers and daughters aren‘t poisoned to death by this chemical that‘s coming across the border, I‘m willing to pay more for guacamole, as is the rest of the United States of America,” he said.

He then suggested that this position is a bipartisan one, protecting Americans of all kinds.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – AUGUST 23: Then-Republican presidential nominee, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

MEXICAN PRESIDENT MIGHT BE CHANGING VIEW ON US AS TRUMP WIN SENDS WARNING TO RULING SOCIALISTS 

“We gotta understand that this is not a political statement. It‘s not a Republican or a Democrat issue, or independent or Libertarian, we‘re sick and tired of our children and our neighbors dying from fentanyl poisoning. There‘s not a single person. There‘s not a single person listening to this show right now that is farther than one degree separated from someone that has died from fentanyl poisoning and that‘s exactly what President Trump is getting to with these tariffs,” he said. 

President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for tariffs and deporting illegal immigrants came under criticism from the left with them claiming that Americans will be paying more for many items.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP