The Simona Halep doping case has taken a new turn recently. Halep’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has owned up to the part he played in the Romanian’s ban. However, Mouratoglou is certain that the decision to ban Halep can be revoked very soon.
As a player, Halep won hearts with her charm and trophies with her skills. Therefore, the news of her ban as a result of doping sent shockwaves throughout the tennis world. Notable players, like Serena Williams, were quick to criticize her when the news broke out at the time.
Mouratoglou recently took to Instagram to admit his guilt. Roxadustat, the banned substance, was found in Halep’s samples as a result of his team’s negligence. While Halep and her team had managed to prove that she tested positive for the substance due to contamination, the ITIA still banned her for four years.
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In the video, Mouratoglou states that he feels responsible for Simona’s unfortunate fate. He even called Halep an innocent victim and added that he was certain the appeal would overturn the harsh decision. At the same time, Patrick expressed that Halep‘s case has opened his eyes since anyone can be a victim of contamination.
Mouratoglou was very somber and spoke frankly in the video. However, tennis fans have not taken kindly to his role in Halep’s doping case. One fan went so far as to state, “What a coward he is!” for taking so long to open up. Here are a few reactions to Mouratoglou’s video.
Contaminated. Quality control check not so great, for one of the highest paid coaches in the world, working with the absolute top tier athletes….
— Jonathan (@Jon0MF) November 3, 2023
What a coward he is!
Took him so long when we all knew in fact, from the beginning, that his team was responsible.
If he would have come out from the beginning then all Simona’s haters would have kept their mouth shut!
But the coward was scared that his academy would have…
— AlphaChadLife (@AlphaChadLife) November 3, 2023
Simona Halep’s case will be talked about in the years to come. In the meantime, the Wimbledon champion has decided to appeal the decision. While many of her colleagues were quick to call Halep guilty, she has found support within the fraternity too.
Australian star thinks Simona Halep could have done ‘legal doping’ if she wanted to
John Millman, the former US Open quarterfinalist, is one of several to think that Halep did not consciously use Roxadustat. The reason it is a banned substance is that it is an anti-anemia drug, which increases the count of red blood cells.
Millman took to social media to give his opinion on the issue. He spoke of players using drugs for ADHD, which comes under Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). Millman added that Halep could have taken the TUE route to enhance her performances, but she did not.
To add to this is one of the reasons I think Simona Halep is innocent. If she really wanted to enhance her performance with a substance she could have just gone down a TUE path. I genuinely believe she is innocent and hope she returns to the courts soon!
— John Millman (@johnhmillman) November 30, 2022
The ban was a big blow to Simona Halep, who has always maintained her innocence. At 32 years of age, it is a career-ending decision. However, Halep and her supporters are certain that she can return to tennis very soon.