Former Wimbledon champion and two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep has been handed a four-year ban from professional tennis following anti-doping violations. The ban, imposed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), extends until October 7, 2026.
Halep’s suspension came after her provisional suspension in October 2022 when she tested positive for the banned substance roxadustat during the 2022 US Open. The ITIA found that Halep had committed two breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
The first breach was related to “the presence and use of roxadustat” in Halep’s urine sample collected during the US Open. The second breach involved “the use of a prohibited substance or method during 2022,” which was based on the analysis of 51 blood samples provided by the player as part of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) programme.
Halep argued that she had ingested a contaminated supplement, but the ITIA’s tribunal determined that the volume of the supplement could not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found in her positive sample. The ABP charge was also upheld, with the tribunal accepting the unanimous opinion of three independent Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) experts that “likely doping” explained the irregularities in Halep’s profile.
Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, stated, “After a complex and rigorous hearing process, we welcome the independent tribunal’s decision.”
The ban is a significant setback for Halep, a former world No. 1 and highly regarded tennis player, and it raises questions about her future in professional tennis.
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