Novak Djokovic's PTPA vows to ensure that Simona Halep has a fair appeal amid doping scandal
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), which was founded by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, released a statement following Simona Halep's provisional suspension. The Romanian tested positive for Roxadustat, a prohibited substance.
The PTPA released a statement on Twitter stating that they were committed to ensuring that Halep had a fair appeal and vowed to fight for her rights as well as those of all players.
"The PTPA is committed to ensuring that Simona Halep, and every player, has a fair appeal and complete due process. We will fight for her rights and look to advocate for fairness and transparency for all players," the statement read.
Our statement on the provisional suspension of @Simona_Halep: twitter.com/Simona_Halep/s… https://t.co/7zKZu5diEE
Simona Halep's reaction to testing positive for Roxadustat
A shocked Simona Halep took to social media in the aftermath of her provisional suspension to say that she would "fight for the truth."
The former World No. 1 stated that the idea of cheating never crossed her mind and that she felt "confused and betrayed."
"Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth. I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance named Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock in my life. Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never crossed my mind once, as it is totally against the values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed," Simona Halep tweeted.
"I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out. It's not about the titles or money. It's about honor or the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years," she added.
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Halep has had a pretty good season, winning 39 out of 50 matches, with two titles to her name. She won the Canadian Open by beating Beatriz Haddad Maia in the final, claiming her ninth WTA 1000 title and returning to the top 10 in the WTA rankings. She also won the Melbourne Summer Set 1 at the start of the year.
Halep most recently competed at the US Open, where she was knocked out in the first round by Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur. She announced an end to her season after undergoing nose surgery in September. She is currently 10th in the WTA rankings.