"It was too painful to know I'm banned" - Simona Halep opens up on being denied entry to Jannik Sinner's match in Paris during doping ordeal
Simona Halep was on the sidelines for over a year owing to a doping ban. She revealed that she was denied entry to watch Jannik Sinner play in the Paris Masters during her doping ordeal and described her suspension as 'too painful'.
In October 2022, it was revealed that Halep tested positive for a banned substance called Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. Further, it was also announced that there were abnormalities in her Athlete Biological Passport.
Taking these issues into account, the Romanian was suspended from competition for four years until October 2026.
During her suspension, she wished to watch Sinner at the Paris Bercy playing in the Masters 1000 event. Notably, the Italian is coached by Halep's former coach Darren Cahill. However, the two-time Grand Slam champion was not allowed entry.
In a recent interview with "We Are Tennis", Halep revealed:
"So, I wanted to go to Paris Bercy to see [Jannik] Sinner, and I was not able to. So, what did I do that bad that I'm not able to watch a match? This is too much, in my opinion."
The former World No. 1 said her ban was 'too painful' and that she avoided watching tennis.
"I did not watch much.... Because it was too painful to know that I'm banned and I cannot even play or I cannot even watch in life. I said, I'm not going to watch the TV. I watched, I think, maximum 8, 10 matches in two years," she revealed.
Her four-year ban was announced by an Independent Tribunal on September 22, 2023. Halep filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and she even participated in a hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland in February 2024.
CAS upheld Halep's positive test of the banned substance and ruled that she does 'bear some level of fault or negligence for her violations' but 'no significant fault or negligence'.
According to the CAS statement released in March, her suspension was reduced to nine months starting on 7 October 2022. Her suspension expired on 6 July 2023.
"It was bigger than Grand Slams, bigger than No. 1" - Simona Halep reveals what the CAS statement meant to her
In the same interview with "We Are Tennis", Simona Halep was asked if the result announced by CAS was the biggest victory of her life. She confirmed it was and stated it was bigger than her achievements on the court as it was a matter of 'integrity'.
"It was bigger than Grand Slams, bigger than No. 1. It was about integrity, and it was about myself, my person. I have always been honest and correct to tennis, to this sport," Simona Halep said.
After being inactive from October 2022 to February 2024, the former World No. 1 returned to the court via a wildcard into the 2024 Miami Open. She played Paula Badosa and lost the first-round match in three sets.