Simona Halep banned for 4 years for doping violations

Simona Halep had been provisionally suspended since October 2022. The four-year ban will run until 6 October, 2026. AP

London: Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been suspended from skilled tennis for 4 years for doping violations, the Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company stated Tuesday.

The 31-year-old Romanian had been accused of two doping offences — failing a drug check throughout the 2022 US Open and for irregularities in her Athlete Organic Passport, the ITIA stated.

A panel concluded that Halep “had dedicated intentional anti-doping rule violations.”

Associated Articles

Asian Desk Tennis Championships: India lose to Chinese language Taipei, log off with bronze medal

Asian Desk Tennis Championships: Indian males’s group assured of bronze

Halep had been provisionally suspended since October 2022. The four-year ban will run until 6 October, 2026.

Halep reached No. 1 within the WTA rankings in 2017. She received Wimbledon in 2019, beating 23-time main champion Serena Williams within the ultimate, a yr after successful the French Open.

Halep, who had blamed a contaminated complement, plans to enchantment the choice to the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport.

“I’m persevering with to coach and do every thing in my energy to clear my identify of those false allegations and return to the court docket,” Halep stated in a press release.

She stated she additionally will “pursue all authorized cures towards the complement firm in query.”

The ITIA’s tribunal heard from Halep and her professional scientific witnesses however concluded that the participant dedicated each offenses.

“The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument that that they had taken a contaminated complement, however decided the quantity the participant ingested couldn’t have resulted within the focus of Roxadustat discovered within the optimistic pattern,” the ITIA stated.

Halep’s organic passport profile had been examined by an professional panel. Such passports present a baseline studying of gear in an athlete’s physique and are thought of a approach to assist chart doping.

The tribunal reported that “seemingly doping” was the reason for the irregularities in Halep’s profile.