Simona Halep has no shortage of backers in the wake of her four-year doping ban, with Croatia's Marin Cilic sending a supportive message on X.
The injury-stricken Cilic took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to back the suspended Romanian star and appears to decry the ITIA's decision. Halep was handed a hefty suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency lasting four years for violating anti-doping regulations.
The breaches in question include testing positive for the banned substance roxadustat and the inconsistencies with her biological passport which was linked to doping. Halep vows to plead her innocence again and will appeal the independent tribunal's decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
"Stay strong Simona, their ruling counts for nothing!"
Cilic has been through the same itinerary with the anti-doping authorities Back at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships he pulled out before his second-round match stating he had a knee injury. A month later it was revealed that he cited the injury as a cover-up for a failed drugs test.
At the time, Cilic tested positive for a banned substance nikethamide, which he consumed via Coramine glucose tablets that were bought from a pharmacy store by a member of his team. Cilic for his part, was deemed incautious as the tablet leaflet contained a disclaimer of potential positive tests for athletes if ingested and was banned for nine months.
Cilic appealed the tribunal's decision at CAS and later on had his ban reduced from nine to four months, returning to the Tour the following season. The Croat bounced back in spectacular fashion. He defeated Roger Federer en route to winning his first and only Grand Slam title at the 2014 US Open in one of the most bizarre major tournaments in the past decade.
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