Simona Halep, the two-time grand slam champion and former world No 1, has been charged with a second anti-doping rule violation while provisionally suspended following a positive doping test last year.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Friday that Halep’s athlete biological passport (ABP) returned irregularities after an assessment of her profile by an independent expert panel. Anti-doping bodies use the biological passport system to monitor an athlete’s various blood indicators over a long period of time in order to identify irregularities that could indicate rule violations.
The additional doping charge is a catastrophic development for Halep’s case. She responded to the new charge by accusing the anti-doping bodies of “harassment”, an accusation that was also echoed by her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.
“Since October 7, when I got charged by the ITIA for a suspicion of doping, I have lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life,” Halep said in a statement. “Not only has my name been soiled in the worst possible way, but I am facing a constant determination from the ITIA for a reason that I cannot understand, to prove my guilt while I haven’t ever even thought of taking any illicit substance.”
Halep was provisionally suspended in In October after testing positive for the drug Roxadustat, which increases red blood cell creation, following her first-round loss at the US Open. Halep denies knowingly doping and claimed that “experts” have provided her with evidence that she is the victim of contamination.
Halep spoke publicly for the first time about her first doping charge last month, criticising the ITIA for multiple delays that meant she has been unable to present her case to an independent tribunal eight months after receiving notification of the positive test. In her new statement, Halep claimed that the ITIA is motivated to find her guilty. “I feel helpless facing such harassment and motivation on their behalf to prove me guilty of something I never did. Once again, all my life I have been totally against any sort of cheating. It doesn’t align with my values.” she wrote.
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Nicole Sapstead, the senior director for anti-doping at the ITIA, noted the complexity of the case in a statement: “We understand this announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation. From the outset of this process – and indeed any other at the ITIA – we have remained committed to engaging with Ms Halep in an empathetic, efficient, and timely manner.”
Halep won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, holding the No 1 ranking for a total of 64 weeks. She is one of the most high profile tennis players to face a doping charge and her charges are some of the most serious that any prominent player has received. According to Halep, a hearing is scheduled for later this month.
“The only thing I hope for, at this point, is to have the possibility to finally access the independent and impartial judges in a tribunal, that will give me the chance to prove my innocence,” wrote Halep. “I have full trust in justice and I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is schedule at the end of May, after several delays by the ITIA.”
