Simona Halep at the 2022 National Bank Open
“Simona Halep, Former Top-Ranked Tennis Player, Receives Suspension for Tennis Anti-Doping Program Violation, as Declared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency on Tuesday.”
Per tennis commentator José Morgado, Halep tested positive for the banned substance roxadustat at the end of 2022 and also had irregularities in her biological passport. She is reportedly expected to appeal the ruling.
According to a release from the ITIA, an independent tribunal determined that Halep “had committed intentional Anti-Doping Rule Violations under Article 2 of the TADP.” She has been provisionally suspended since Oct. 2022, ruling her out until Oct. 2026, at which point she’ll be 35 years old.
Halep released a statement Tuesday saying, in part, that she “never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance.”
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The presence of roxadustat was found in Halep’s urine sample from the 2022 U.S. Open collected last August. Roxadustat is described as “a substance legitimately used for the treatment of anemia but is on the WADA Prohibited Substance list as it is considered a blood doping agent, which increases hemoglobin and the production of red blood cells.”
Also, there were irregularities found that indicated the “Use of a prohibited substance or method during 2022, based on collection and analysis of 51 blood samples provided” as part of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) program.
ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said in a statement:
“After a complex and rigorous hearing process, we welcome the independent tribunal’s decision. The volume of evidence for the tribunal to consider in both the roxadustat and ABP proceedings was substantial. The ITIA has followed the proper processes as we would with any other individual – in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code – fulfilling our purpose and responsibility to uphold the principle of fair competition, on behalf of the sport. The panel recognized that appropriate procedure had been followed within the written decision. We do understand the significant public interest in these cases and remain committed to being as transparent as possible and the full decision will be published in due course.”
A two-time Grand Slam winner, Halep has 24 career singles titles and was ranked as the world No. 1 twice between 2017 and 2019 for a total of 64 weeks.
