Simona Halep: Two-time Grand Slam champion handed four-year ban for doping

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been banned for 4 years following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

An impartial tribunal decided the 31-year-old Romanian had dedicated “intentional” anti-doping violations.

Halep examined constructive for using roxadustat ultimately yr’s US Open.

She was additionally discovered responsible of utilizing an unspecified prohibited substance or technique in 2022 after irregularities had been present in her organic passport.

The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument she had taken a contaminated complement, however determined that may not have resulted within the focus of roxadustat present in her urine pattern.

The panel additionally acknowledged that they had no motive to doubt the unanimous “strong opinion” reached by three impartial consultants that “likely doping” was the reason for the irregularities in her organic passport.

Halep has been provisionally suspended since October 2022, which suggests she’s going to be capable to play once more on 7 October 2026, by which era she shall be 35.

The findings of the tribunal, nonetheless, will be appealed towards and Halep mentioned in a press release she would problem the decision.

Halep mentioned: “The final yr has been the toughest match of my life, and sadly my struggle continues. I’ve devoted my life to the attractive recreation of tennis.

“I take the foundations that govern our sport very critically and take delight within the reality I’ve by no means knowingly or deliberately used any prohibited substance. I refused to just accept their choice of a four-year ban.”

Halep, who received the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the next yr, is the highest-profile tennis participant to fail a medication take a look at since Maria Sharapova in 2016.

She has received 24 WTA tour singles titles and earned £32.2m ($40.2m) in prize cash and was ranked primary on the earth in 2017 and 2018.