Simona Halep Suspended Following Drug Test, She Says ‘The Truth Will Come Out’
Friday, October 21, 2022 at 06:00PM By Barry Janoff
October 21, 2022: The International Tennis Integrity Agency today said that Simona Halep, two-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, has been “provisionally suspended” after failing a drug test during the U.S. Open.
Halep, currently ranked No. 9 in the Hologic WTA Tour rankings, tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat, a drug approved for medical use in the European Union to treat the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure, according to AP Sports.
Halep faces a ban of up to four years for a positive test for a substance like Roxadustat.
Athletes can appeal the decision and earn a reduction in their ban. Halep is planning for a dismissal of the suspension.
The ITIA is the delegated third party, under the World Anti-Doping Code of the International Tennis Federation, responsible for the management and administration of anti-doping across professional tennis.
Halep, in a statement posted to her social media platforms, wrote, “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 called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life.
“Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation I feel completely confused and betrayed.
“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.”
Halep stressed that, “It’s not about the titles or the money. It’s about honor and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years.”
Following the U.S. Open, Halep said she nose surgery to improve her breathing and would not participate in the reminder of the 2022 Holgoic WTA Tour season.
Halep earlier this year became only the third Hologic WTA Tour player to earn more than $40 million in career prize-money, joining Serena Williams ($94.6 million ) and Venus Williams ($42.3 million).
Novak Djokovic tops the overall pro tennis list with $158,996,253 in earnings,
Halep won Wimbledon in 2019, beating Serena Williams, and the French Open in 2018.
According to the ITIA, “The International Tennis Integrity Agency has confirmed that Simona Halep, a 31-year-old Romanian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended under Article 7.12.1 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Program.
“The ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation on 7 October 2022 under Article 2.1 of the Program (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) and/or Article 2.2 (Use of a Prohibited Substance without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption).
“Halep . . . provided a sample whilst competing at the U.S. Open in August 2022.
“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.”
“The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that the A sample contained FG-4592 (Roxadustat), which is a prohibited substance listed in the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Adverse Analytical Findings for non-specified substances carry a mandatory provisional suspension.
“The player exercised their right to request that the B sample was analyzed, which confirmed the finding in the A sample.
“While provisionally suspended, the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned tennis events organized by the governing bodies of the sport.”
Photo: Hologic WTA Tour
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