Romanian tennis star Simona Halep is suspected of another doping violation. Halep, who is facing a ban from competition, strongly denies the suspicions and assures that she intends to prove the suspicions to be groundless.
Romanian tennis star Simona Halepia is again suspected of a doping violation. Halep has been suspended since October last year because of her previous doping case.
The 31-year-old Halep was suspended after her test sample at the US Open showed signs of a banned substance.
British Broadcasting Corporation According to the BBC (you will switch to another service) the suspicion that has now become public is based on the irregularities found in the athlete’s biological passport. Major changes in an athlete’s profile can reveal that the athlete is using doping.
Last fall, a substance called Roxadustat was found in Halep’s sample. The substance in question increases red blood cells and at the same time the flow of oxygen to the muscles, so in practice the athlete’s endurance characteristics improve.
Halep denies ever using banned substances. He describes on Instagram that he is helpless when faced with such harassment and says that he has lived through difficult times.
– I have lived the worst nightmare of my life, Halep describes her feelings.
Halep intends to prove her innocence
The former number one player in the world ranking, Halep, criticized the tennis ethics monitoring body (ITIA) for the fact that the processing of the case has taken an unreasonably long time.
– My name has been defiled in the worst possible way. ITIA resolutely wants to prove my guilt, even though I have never even thought about using banned substances, Halep emphasizes.
Halep hopes she will get a chance to prove her innocence at a hearing in late May.
The ITIA, which is investigating Halep’s possible doping violations, says it will continue discussions with the independent court and Halep’s representatives.
– Right from the beginning of the process, we are committed to interacting with Halep in an empathetic, but also effective way, ITIA’s anti-doping director Nicole Sapstead says.
Simona Halep is a two-time Grand Slam tournament winner. She captured the French Open in 2018 and won Wimbledon in 2019. Halep was ranked ninth in the world when she was suspended last year.