Former world number one may return to professional tennis
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, upheld the appeal of the former world number one Simona Halep. The tennis player’s disqualification has been reduced from four years to nine months, and the Romanian athlete can return to professional competition.
Let us remind you that Halep was charged with using the banned substance roxadustat at the US Open 2022 and inconsistencies in the Romanian athlete’s biological passport (ABP). In September 2023, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reported that the Independent Tribunal had suspended Halep for four years.
CAS found that the prohibited drug entered the tennis player’s blood accidentally due to a contaminated food additive. The judges also took into account that the doping test was taken after the tennis player’s performances at the tournament. Halep herself has publicly stated that she does not intend to compete again in 2022, but has begun preparations for surgery on the nasal septum, which could affect the use of various drugs.
Halep’s disqualification begins on October 7, 2022; her period has already expired during the proceedings. The ITF undertakes to pay the tennis player 20 thousand Swiss francs as compensation.
Halep, 32, is a two-time Grand Slam champion. The Romanian athlete spent 64 weeks as the world number one.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
