Sports
FORMER Wimbledon champion Simona Halep has vowed to return to tennis with “renewed vigour and an invigorated spirit” after a four-year doping ban was reduced to nine months.
Halep, 32, saw the original punishment, which left her fearing her career was over, cut after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
The former world number one is free to return to the tour as soon as possible.
“This ordeal has been a testament to resilience,” she said on Instagram.
“The triumph of truth is a bittersweet vindication that, albeit delayed, is immensely gratifying.”
The Romanian, who won the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon in 2019, has not played competitively since the US Open in August 2022, having failed a doping test at Flushing Meadows.
She is unranked after the enforced absence and will initially need wildcards to play at WTA tournaments.
Halep tested positive for roxadustat, an anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells in the body.
In May 2023, Halep was handed a second charge by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), this time for irregularities in her athlete biological passport (ABP).
An independent report, instigated by the ITIA, ruled Halep had “intentionally” doped and handed out a four-year ban.
Halep appealed against the decision and on Tuesday it was announced her case was partially upheld, with Cas ruling Halep “on the balance of probabilities” had not taken roxadustat intentionally.
The charge relating to the discrepancies in her athlete biological passport was dismissed by Cas.
Halep’s suspension was cut to nine months and backdated to the start of her provisional suspension in October 2022, meaning she is able to return to competition in the coming weeks.
Halep said the ruling was a “pivotal moment” which provided “clarity”.
If the original suspension until October 2026 had stood, she would have just turned 35 when allowed to return.
“In the midst of this challenging journey, my unwavering belief in the integrity of the truth and in the principles of justice has been my beacon,” she said.
“Looking forward, I am eager to turn this page and rejoin the tour with renewed vigour and an invigorated spirit.”
BBC
6th March, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Simona Halep
