"Despite facing accusations & opposition, my spirit remained buoyant"- Simona Halep ready to return with "renewed vigor" after doping ban reduction
Simona Halep sent a message after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced her doping ban from four years to nine months in a recent ruling.
The Romanian tested positive for a banned substance, roxadustat, in a test administered in August 2022 after her first-round US Open exit. She was also believed to have irregularities with her athlete biological passport (ABP) — a tool that monitors the effects of doping rather than aiming to detect the illegal substance itself.
An independent tribunal handed Halep two doping violations and she was subsequently banned from the sport for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in September 2023. She maintained her innocence ever since she was suspended, noting that a contaminated nutritional supplement contained the banned substance.
After CAS' latest ruling, Halep took to Instagram to state that the tribunal cleared her of any wrongdoing with regard to the doping allegations. She also noted that the contaminated substance was blamed for the ordeal and that the ITIA has been told to compensate her with a sum of CHF 20,000.
An excerpt from the Romanian's caption reads:
"Despite facing daunting accusations and formidable opposition, my spirit remained buoyant, anchored in my unwavering conviction of being a clean athlete. This ordeal has been a testament to resilience, and the triumph of truth is a bittersweet vindication that, albeit delayed, is immensely gratifying."
"I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my legal team, whose steadfast faith and exceptional dedication have been instrumental in navigating through these turbulent times. Equally, my sponsors, loyal fans, and some commendable competitors have been my pillars of strength, offering unwavering support and solidarity", she added.
"The overwhelming backing from so many Romanians has also fortified my resolve, enabling me to champion this cause to a rightful and honorable conclusion. Looking forward, I am eager to turn this page and rejoin the tour with renewed vigor and an invigorated spirit. With love and gratitude, Simona ❤️🎾 #ContaminatedWithIntegrity", the former World No. 1 concluded.
Halep, 32, is now free to play on the tour considering she was already serving a provisional ban since October 2022.
Two-time Major winner Simona Halep hasn't played in a year and a half
A lengthy ban at the age of 32 would have likely meant that Simona Halep's career at the top was over. But she now has a chance to return to the tour and build on her past success.
Halep, who has 24 singles titles to her name, is a two-time Grand Slam winner, having lifted the French Open title in 2018 and the Wimbledon Championships in 2019. She won five ATP singles titles after that and was ranked seventh at the 2022 US Open, which, as of now, is the last professional tournament she played in.
There, Halep was sent packing in the first round by qualifier Daria Snigur, who beat her 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 on August 29, 2022. Her last win on the Tour came earlier that month at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati, where she beat Anastasia Potapova in three sets before withdrawing from her second-round match against Veronika Kudermetova due to a thigh injury.