For the third time the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has requested a delay to Simona Halep‘s hearing. Judging by the Romanian’s reactions, we can conclude that she feels like there is some sort of controversy organized against her. Is she guilty of using roxadustat or is some higher power trying to ruin her career?
Shortly after elaborating about the reasons she feels “helpless facing such harassment” by the ITIA, the two-time Grand Slam champion Halep took to social media to inform everyone that tennis’ doping authority has once again officially requested the tribunal to delay her hearing.
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) May 22, 2023
Desperate to resolve this situation and prove that she is an innocent victim of accidental contamination, Halep is sharing her frustration with constant delays on social media:
When is it going to stop? I ask the question once again. I am entitled to a quick hearing. Acting this way is contrary to my rights.
The former world No.1 Halep hasn’t competed since testing positive for roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. The situation went from bad to worse when she got charged with an additional anti-doping breach a few days ago, related to irregularities found in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
Tennis legend Chris Evert believes that Halep wouldn’t take the route of taking prohibited substances: “It’s very hard for me to believe Simona would intentionally use performance-enhancing substances.”
Patrick Mouratoglou, Halep’s coach, retweeted Halep’s statement of extreme shock and disappointment with the latest delay and commented that the ITIA had played a “double game” from “day one”. When Halep received the second doping violation, Mouratoglou voiced his discontent with “the situation going way past the limits of the acceptable.”
Darren Cahill, Halep’s former coach of six years, is also absolutely by her side: “My belief and support of Simona is unwavering.”
Whether or not Halep is innocent, it doesn’t work in her favor that roxadustat is a highly potent doping agent. Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg offers valuable insight: “It’s worth putting in context that these are the most severe doping charges any #1 tennis player has faced. Leagues more serious than Sharapova.” Moreover, he points to Halep’s frequent statements on social media as defense or PR strategy.
What is your opinion?
In the past, Halep was very vocal about being against doping. Is it possible that some people in power have the interest to put her on the sidelines? Or is she just trying to do damage control by presenting herself as a victim? Vote in the poll and tell us more in the comments below this article.
Considering ITIA was only founded as of 2021, they had to have a poster doping case, with a former #1, to prove their credibility on the anti-doping stage (trying to take over WADA). But it seems that this political game only turns against them, due to their sloppiness in they way they’re handling this highly publicized case.
As one would say, they’re breaching a players’ right to work (play), since they don’t give a final penalty (thus she’s indefinitely suspended) and she doesn’t have the right to justice, she can’t challenge the inexistent ruling in court.
Mike, I must say that two doping violations make it highly suspicious that Halep may be guilty, however, the primary problem here is the duration of the process. She’s still only provisionally suspended and yet she can neither compete nor present her defense.
Either guilty or not, she has The right to be judged, postponing her hearing shows us nothing but that ITIA has no audible proofs on Simo, postpone hearings to buy time to collect and invent more lies about, 1 – the tests where first negative, second positive, third negative, 2 The biological passport was and still is clean. ITIA is trying to put her down instead of going to show their proofs in court. Being called guilty before being judged looks right to you or anybody?!? NOOO!! NEVER!
And she said nothing about Sharapova in particular, never and Serena fans should see about Serena, Simo won Wimbledon because she was way better than Serena and way better than Sloane at roland garros. She was tested way more than Serena at that Time, and she was Clean like she still is – CLEAN!!! #standwithsimona
She has the right to defend herself. Delaying that process is just wrong.
Don’t understand why you would bring Serena Williams into this. I believe Ms. Halep is innocent and it is really strange it all happened after she suddenly got divorced.IJS
What I don’t understand is why doesn’t she sue these crooks back into irrelevance?
Maybe her ex husband is involved ! Who knows ? maybe he asked her to choose between him or tennis ! She wanted to play tennis for a few more years and him, he wanted a child ? Maybe he drugged her ! Who knows ?
Normand Chalifoux, I don’t think so. I read somewhere that her ex-husband heavily defended her and explained how she was always extremely careful. She never even drank water without opening the bottle herself.