Former world No.1 Simona Halep has been suspended after failing a doping test at the US Open.
The Romanian, who won Wimbledon in 2019, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat at the US Open earlier this year.
Halep insists she feels "completely confused and betrayed" by the news with the International Tennis Integrity Association confirming the suspension for the 31-year-old.
She said: "Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth. I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life.
"Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed.
"I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out.
"It's not about the titles or the money. It's about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 23 years."
Halep was beaten in the first round of the US Open by Daria Snigur of Ukraine earlier this year.
The ITIA confirmed both A and B sample showed traces of the banned substance with Halep now banned from competing in any competition.
"While provisionally suspended, the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned tennis events organised by the governing bodies of the sport.," a statement read.
Roxadustat increases the production of red blood cells through the endogenous production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO).
Halep, who is now ranked No.9 in the world, has won two Grand Slam titles - at Wimbledon in 2019 and the French Open a year earlier.
Last month, she announced she would not return to action until 2023 after undergoing nose surgery to improve her breathing.
She is the most high-profile player since Maria Sharapova in 2016 to fail a drugs test. The Russian's ban was reduced from two years to 15 months after her appeal.
