Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been cleared for an immediate return to tennis after the Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted that she was not entirely at fault for her positive doping test at the 2022 U.S. Open. The 32-year-old Romanian, a former top-ranked player, has been on hold for more than a year due to the doping allegations.
The CAS ruling lifted the allegation of suspected doping cheat from Halep, stating that her positive test for a banned blood-boosting substance was unintentional and caused by a contaminated supplement. As a result, her four-year ban was reduced to just nine months, which expired retroactively last July.
Halep expressed her eagerness to return to the tour and also mentioned that she has filed a lawsuit against the supplement maker. She celebrated her legal victory against what she called 'scandalous accusations' and criticized the tennis authorities for their handling of the case.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency, which initially banned Halep and sought a longer sanction, respected the CAS decision and acknowledged the athlete's right to appeal in anti-doping cases. The CAS judges also awarded Halep 20,000 Swiss francs toward her legal fees from the ITIA.
Halep's doping case involved a positive test for the banned blood-booster roxadustat at the 2022 U.S. Open. She maintained her innocence throughout the investigation, attributing the positive test to contaminated nutritional supplements. The CAS panel found that while Halep bore some level of fault for her violations, she did not bear significant fault or negligence.
The case was heard by a panel of highly regarded judges, including Annabelle Bennett, Jeffrey Benz, and Ulrich Haas. Halep can now resume her tennis career, which had stalled, and she was ranked No. 1138 when the 2023 U.S. Open began.
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