Simona Halep received, on Tuesday, a 4-year suspension in the doping case, ITIA representatives made the official announcement today, but the decision is not final, and Halep can appeal to CAS.
Simona Halep’s suspension will expire on October 6, 2026. The double Grand Slam champion received the most drastic punishment possible, a 4-year suspension from tennis and any tennis-related activity! Simona can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
The official release made by ITIA
“ITIA confirms that an independent tribunal has suspended Simona Halep for a period of 4 years, due to the violation of the Anti-Doping Program. The 31-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion was found guilty of two separate violations. The first, with the banned substance roxadustat, at the US Open 2022. The second is related to the irregularities in his biological passport.
The Independent Sports Resolutions Tribunal, meeting on 28 and 29 June 2023 in London, heard the opinions of experts and those of Halep’s representatives. Halep personally presented evidence to the court. On September 11, 2023, the court confirmed that it had found the player guilty of violating two articles:
– the presence of roxadustat in the urine sample collected on August 29, 2022 at the US Open
– use of a prohibited substance or method during 2022, result based on the collection of 51 blood samples provided by the player through the anti-doping program.
The court stated that there is no reason to question the unanimous conclusion reached by the 3 experts. The conclusion was that “doping is most likely” the explanation for the irregularities found in Halep’s case,” reads the ITIA’s official statement.
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