After failing a drug test at the US Open, Simona Halep, a former No. 1 player, has been given a four-year temporary suspension from Tennis by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep, who is ranked No. 9 in the WTA rankings, was suspended on Friday by the ITIA after a positive test for the drug Roxadustat was conducted. On October 7, Halep was told of the offence. She then exercised her power to request that the B sample be examined, which supported the A sample's discovery.
Roxadustat belongs to a group of drugs known as HIF-stabilizing agents, according to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). It is a medication that has been approved for medical usage last year in the European Union to treat anaemic symptoms brought on by chronic kidney failure. According to the agency, it encourages the body to create more of the naturally occurring hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has long been a preferred doping agent among cyclists and distance runners.
“Athletes can use these products to increase their red blood cell count, which is a very effective doping technique that increases the delivery of oxygen to working muscles to increase endurance performance,” stated the USADA. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said in a statement that the ITIA regulates the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP) and the WTA members fully support it and Simona as well.
While in suspension, the Romanian tennis player will not be permitted to participate in or watch any tennis tournaments carried on by the organizations that control the sport.
Simona Halep on Twitter
"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," Simona tweeted. “It’s not about the titles or the money. It’s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years,” she added.
The 31-year-old Romanian athlete recently declared she would sit out the duration of the current game after getting nose surgery to assist her to breathe easier. After suffering a string of injuries, she thought about giving up this year early, but after joining forces with Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou in April, she claimed she felt energized.
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