Former world No. 1 Simona Halep has been officially suspended for doping after testing positive at the US Open.
Former world number 1 and star of the WTA circuits for several years, Romania’s Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency following a positive test during the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the US Open, tournament in which the player, seeded number 7, was knocked out in the first round by Ukrainian Daria Snigur.
According to the information revealed, the one who currently ranks 9th in the WTA rankings, tested positive for Roxadustat, which is supposed to increase the endogenous production of EPO and red blood cells. This product is, in “everyday” use, is believed to be an alternative to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) that has been studied in a phase 3 study in patients with end-stage chronic renal failure (ESRD) on dialysis and already treated with ESA. The player had requested the analysis of the B sample, which confirmed the result obtained during the analysis of the A sample, as a result of which she was suspended.