Tennis: Romanian Simona Halep, ex-world number one, suspended for doping

Published on: 21/10/2022 – 17:04 Tenniswoman Simona Halep, currently ninth in the world in the WTA ranking, was provisionally suspended on Friday by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). A sample provided by the Romanian at the last US Open revealed traces of a banned drug. Simona Halep, 31, can no longer play tennis on the professional circuit, at least temporarily. This is the decision made Friday by the ITIA. At the end of August, while playing the US Open in New York, the player provided a sample which showed traces of Roxadustat, a drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells and is used in the treatment of patients suffering from kidney problems The former world number one immediately reacted on her social networks, saying that the positive test was “the biggest shock of (my) life”. “Throughout my career, the idea of ​​cheating has never once crossed my mind, because it is totally against all the values ​​with which I was brought up,” she said. for follow-up. “I will fight until the end to prove that I have never knowingly taken a prohibited substance and I am sure that sooner or later the truth will come out”, added Simona Halep, eliminated in New York in the first round by the ‘Ukrainian Daria Snigur, yet from qualifications. Victorious at Roland-Garros in 2018 and at Wimbledon in 2019, the Romanian announced, on September 15 after a nose operation, that her season was over and that she would not play again before 2023.With AFP