The International Tennis Integrity Agency said that Simona Halep, a former world number one, has been banned from tennis for four years due to two drug violations. Since October of last year, the 31-year-old Romanian has been on a temporary suspension after testing positive for the blood-thinning drug Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. Scroll down to read Simona Halep gets a four-year ban from tennis.
Simona Halep gets a four-year ban from tennis
The two-time Grand Slam singles winner was also punished with a second anti-doping violation in May for errors in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). A neutral panel has sustained both accusations. Halep won’t be permitted to play competitive tennis again until October 6, 2026. She has been temporarily suspended since October 2022.
‘My fight continues
Halep, however, said she would appeal the ruling shortly after the ITIA announcement was made, stating: “Today (Tuesday), a tribunal under the tennis anti-doping program published a provisional verdict in my case. The past year has been the hardest battle of my life, and sadly, the battle goes on. My entire life has been committed to the wonderful game of tennis. I take the regulations governing our sport extremely seriously, and I’m proud to say that I’ve never intentionally or knowingly utilized any illegal substances. I resisted agreeing to their four-year suspension ruling. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will be the target of my appeal.”
The 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon singles champion Simona Halep testified before an impartial tribunal, which convened in London on June 28 and 29.
On September 11, the tribunal said that it had determined Halep had engaged in willful violations of tennis’ anti-doping policy. The tribunal had also heard testimony from scientific experts and combed through about 8,000 pages of material.
The usage of Roxadustat, which was found in her urine sample from the 2022 US Open, was one of these breaches, while the second one was based on the collection and analysis of 51 blood samples that Halep submitted as part of the ABP program.
The drug roxadustat is approved for the treatment of anemia. However, it is also prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency since it is thought to be a blood-doping substance that boosts the synthesis of red blood cells and hemoglobin.
The biological passport system is made to track an athlete’s blood markers over time to spot any anomalies that could point to doping.
Halep said that specialists discovered she had unintentionally consumed a tainted vitamin.
ITIA On Halep Doping Ban
The ITIA, however, stated on Tuesday that while the tribunal acknowledged Halep had consumed a tainted supplement, it was also “determined the volume the player ingested could not have resulted in the concentration of Roxadustat found in the positive sample”.
ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse stated: “We welcome the independent tribunal’s decision after a complex and demanding hearing process.”
“The ITIA has adhered to the proper procedures as we would with any other person — by the international anti-doping code — fulfilling our purpose and responsibility to uphold the principle of fair competition, on behalf of the sport,” she continued.
The panel acknowledged that the written decision had been issued using the proper procedure.
Given “the significant public interest,” Moorhouse stated that the complete judgment in Halep’s case “will be published in due course.”
