Simona Halep’s name is set to disappear from the WTA rankings. She will hit the 0 mark as she will miss the Montreal Open, which she won in 2022. Halep will also miss the Canadian Open because the verdict of her doping case hearing has been postponed.
When Halep returns to playing professional tennis again, she will have to start from scratch. She will have to win back her points from ITF tours or wildcards, as Caroline Wozniacki is trying to do.
The Romanian Simona Halep is a former world number one and was slapped with an anti-doping rule violation. This came on the back of a provisional suspension for testing positive for a banned substance in October last year.
I’ve been provisionally suspended for 8 months even though I’ve sent all the evidence regarding my contamination to the ITF last December. I don’t ask for any special treatment, but to be able to get judged by the Tribunal. I feel it is unfair. How long is it going to last? pic.twitter.com/ZwcMzXKnd0
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) April 27, 2023
The International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) also found irregularities in Halep’s Athlete’s Biological Passport (ABP). An independent expert panel conducted the assessment. Anti-doping bodies use the biological passport to keep track of various blood indicators. Irregularities suggest a violation by consuming banned substances.
The Wimbledon Grand Slam champion’s career has been in limbo ever since. And it is likely to remain that way since the hearing has now been postponed.
Simona Halep breaks silence on doping allegations
Halep was suspended after testing positive for Roxadustat, a substance that increases the count of red blood cells. The Wimbledon champion denied taking the substance knowingly and claimed to be a victim of contamination.
With a verdict unlikely to come in the near future, Halep is set to lose all her points. She will lose 30 from Washington, 900 from Canadian Open, 60 from Cincinnati, and 10 from US Open. They amount exactly to the 1000 points Halep currently has.
“Once again, tonight, I am devastated. The ITF (ITIA) has once again, for the third time postponed my hearing one month later! I am waiting to be judged since last October. In December, I have finally been able, thanks to experts, to show that the lot of the supplement I was using had been contaminated, which caused the positive control. I have asked, as the rules of the anti-doping state it, for a quick hearing: this is my right, it is written in the rules!” read her statement.
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) May 24, 2023
“Unfortunately, the ITF (ITIA) has postponed my hearing three times. Denying me the right to be judged by an Independent Tribunal.- Not allowing me to participate in any tournament for 8 months. Now I know that I will have missed the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon,” she wrote.
“Not to mention that I will have lost all my points and my ranking. Not only they are killing my reputation, but also me as a professional player, and I don’t even talk about the consequences on my mental health. This disrespect of the rules by the ITF (ITIA) regarding the fast hearing I am entitled to have, is so disrespectful to me that I have no more words,” Halep said.
The circumstances surrounding Halep’s suspension are unfortunate if her words are to be believed. Not only has her reputation been tarnished, but the former world number one has to start afresh. Simona is the latest to bear the brunt of ITF’s anti-doping rules.