The head of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) believes Simona Halep would never intentionally take illegal substances but stands by the sports anti-doping programme.
Halep is currently suspended from competition after testing positive for roxadustat during this year’s US Open. An anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of haemoglobin and red blood cells in the body. The two-time Grand Slam winner has since issued a statement describing her failed drugs test as a ‘huge shock’ and has vowed to clear her name. The tennis star will attend a tribunal where she will have to provide sufficient evidence that she digested the substance unintentionally. In the worst-case scenario, an athlete can be banned for up to four years for such a violation.
Weighing in on Halep’s suspension from the Tour, WTA chief Steve Simon says he backs the Romanian and her bid to clear her name. During an interview with The Associated Press, Simon said he was confident that the ‘truth is going to come out’ as he pledged his full support behind the anti-doping procedures used in tennis.
“I believe her that she didn’t intentionally do something here. That being said, I do believe very strongly in our anti-doping program, and I think it’s a good one, and our players support it, too. And if you ask Simona, she supports it,” Simon said. “I’m very confident that as we go through the process, the truth is going to come out, and we will deal with it accordingly. But I have a lot of sympathy for Simona, because I would never question her integrity.”
The head of women’s tennis is the latest figure to lend their support behind Halep. Her former coach Darren Cahill and former manager Virginia Ruzici have both issued statements saying they believe she would never dope. A series of players have also spoken out about the matter, including world No.1 Iga Swiatek who said she was ‘confused’ by the situation.
“For sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn’t expect hearing this news,” Swiatek said during her pre-tournament press conference at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth.
“Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair, and she was a great example for me.
“So hopefully… I don’t know how it works in terms of the system that they’re going to… Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever?
“Hopefully, it’s going to be more clear for fans and for us. But, yeah, it’s kind of like disappointing, and she must feel really bad.”
The duration of how long Halep will have to wait before attending her hearing depends on the complexities of the evidence she and her legal team will need to gather. In response to a question asked by Gazeta Sporturilor, The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) say the date of the hearing is not confirmed yet but they will not be releasing any details to the public until a verdict has been reached.
“There is no confirmed date yet. The hearing will be convened by an independent organisation, Sports Resolutions, who will decide the composition of the jury and confirm the details. We will not confirm the date of the hearing or hearings, but will communicate the final outcome when it is known,” an ITIA spokesperson told Gazeta Sporturilor.
Halep has won 24 WTA titles and earned more than $40M in prize money during her career.
