Former world number one Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended after failing a doping test.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed that the two-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat, an anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells, at the US Open in New York last month.
It is the most high-profile failed drugs test in the sport since Maria Sharapova tested positive for meldonium six years ago. Her initial two-year ban was cut to 15 months.
Halep won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2018 before beating Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final a year later, and has spent 64 weeks at the top of the world rankings in her career.
The 31-year-old suffered a shock loss to Daria Snigur in the first round at Flushing Meadows this year and has not played since, bringing her season to an end following nasal surgery.
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) October 21, 2022
Following the announcement of the failed test, Halep put out a statement on social media.
“Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth,” the Romanian said.
“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 the 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 money. It’s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years.”
