SUMMARY
- Simona Halep's doping trial is in its last phase, as the CAS hearing is underway.
- Patrick Mouratoglou appeared in court to testify.
Romanian tennis star Simona Halep has had to fight an uphill battle against her doping sentence. Halep‘s journey has not been an easy one, and she has had to grapple with a lot of mudslinging since. However, with her former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, ready to take responsibility for his role in her sentence, the end of her ordeal is hopefully in sight.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) handed Halep a four-year ban last year. Simona maintained her innocence, decided to fight the ruling, and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Most importantly, Halep’s team proved that Roxadustat, a banned substance, was in her blood due to contamination in her supplement.
Mouratoglou accepted that he had a part in her ban as a member of his team gave her the contaminated collagen. After much delay, Halep’s hearing at the CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland, is finally underway. Patrick appeared in court to confess the same yesterday.
Simona had dinner with Patrick tonight. Big day tomorrow as he and the physio who gave Simona the supplement will be at the hearing. pic.twitter.com/1JLPhEwzPi
— Philip T Boosey (@PhilipTBoosey) February 7, 2024
According to reports, Patrick was at the hearing for a short while and left quickly. Candice Cohier, the physiotherapist who gave her the contaminated collagen, was also present. Mouratoglou’s presence confirmed that Halep had unknowingly consumed the contaminated supplement. While this may not absolve Simona, it might help reduce her sentence significantly.
Simona Halep, the two-time Grand Slam champion, felt her world turn on its head when the ITIA banned her. A four-year suspension spelled the end of her career. Halep is not out of the woods just yet, though.
A timeline of events in the Simona Halep doping case
In 2022, Simona crashed out of the US Open and then tested positive for Roxadustat. It is a banned substance because it increases the production of red blood cells, giving the player an undue advantage. The ITIA initially handed Halep a provisional suspension of six months.
In the months that followed, the ITIA conducted a thorough investigation. They found Halep guilty of two counts: irregularities in her athlete’s biological passport (ABP) and testing positive for Roxadustat. As a consequence, Halep was banned from professional tennis for four years.
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has been suspended for a period of four years following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.https://t.co/dO3PdIruyF pic.twitter.com/cLRU7EhkjY
— International Tennis Integrity Agency (@itia_tennis) September 12, 2023
This ruling sent shockwaves throughout the tennis world. Halep’s colleagues did not have the kindest words for her either. Through it all, Simona maintained her innocence. Moreover, she alleged that her samples had been tampered with after her identity came to light.
Simona Halep’s fight has now entered its final stages. The CAS hearing began on February 7 and will end on February 9, although the final sentence might be announced on a different day. Halep has done all she could have to prove her innocence, and she is hopeful the ruling will go her way.