Simon Halep, the Romanian tennis star provisionally suspended for testing positive for a banned substance has stressed her innocence in a message to her fans and says she hopes to be back on court and winning tournaments.
The winner of 2 Grand Slam titles and former No. 1, gave a short interview to Eurosport on Friday, where she thanked fans for their support.
“I read all their messages and felt their heartfelt (support) and assure them of my innocence,” a calm Halep said, smiling at the camera.
Tn what is tennis’ biggest drugs controversy since the Maria Sharapova saga, Halep was provisionally suspended in October 2022 after she tested positive for banned blood-booster roxadustat at last year’s US Open.
Dressed in jeans, a sleeveless Nike top and her hair styled in loose waves, the 31-year-old reiterated her innocence.
“I didn’t take absolutely anything… I did nothing dishonest in tennis. I hope there comes a day when I return to the court and play the tennis I’ve played all my life with a lot of pleasure and passion,” she said.
“I hope to return to the court and we can enjoy good results… if I am still capable of it,” she added.
The former French Open champion has denied knowingly taking the substance and claimed she has undertaken 10 tests since her positive result, with all of them coming back negative.
The athlete had to face a second doping charge in May, this time relating to irregularities found in her biological passport. Despite this, no definitive sanction has been formalized for Halep, who continues to wait out her ban.
In recent months, Halep has tried to draw the attention of the world and she has vented on social networks: „Once again I am extremely shocked and disappointed by ITIA’s attitude,” she said earlier this year.
Halep was automatically removed from the US Open entry list on Aug. 21 this year just one week before the tournament begins – due to her doping suspension.
Players are unable to compete in or attend any sanctioned events during a provisional suspension.
Halep has said she has evidence to show that small amounts of the anaemia drug entered her system from a licensed supplement that was contaminated.
Halep has said she sent evidence about the contamination to the International Tennis Federation in December and hoped her case would be heard by an independent tribunal in February but that it was postponed and a new date in March was also put back.
