WATCH: Halep Respectfully Shakes Hands With Swiatek Despite Previous Comments

Monday, 23 December 2024 at 18:55

byErik Virostko

Simona Halep was very respectful when she met Iga Swiatek on the tennis court for the first time since making comments about the Pole's doping case.

The two former WTA World No. 1 players have a few things in common. While they share some pleasant achievements, such as winning the French Open and becoming the highest-ranked player on the WTA Tour, there is one more thing they share that they wouldn't want to share if they could choose.

Both tested positive for a banned substance during their careers, and both served a suspension because of that. However, the length of those suspensions was significantly different, as well as the process behind it.

In Swiatek's case, the Polish player accepted a one-month suspension after proving to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that the melatonin pills that she used were contaminated with trimetazidine.

Halep's case, on the other hand, was very different. The Romanian player tested positive for roxadustat, and her provisional suspension started after the 2022 US Open.

In her case, however, the ITIA imposed a four-year suspension, which Halep challenged on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). After months of legal battles, her suspension was reduced to nine months, allowing her to immediately return to the tennis courts.

After her case, Halep felt a lot of injustice. She felt like she wasn't treated correctly, and when she already managed to forget that, two other high-profile cases came to light.

First, Jannik Sinner's case was made public, with the Italian player avoiding any suspension, and later, it was announced that Swiatek also tested positive for a banned substance.

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Halep felt like she needed to speak out, sharing her thoughts on social media. She was clearly frustrated by what she perceived was a clear difference in her and Swiatek's treatment.

On top of that, when talking about the case a few days after that, Halep refused to say Swiatek's name, suggesting she might not have been angry only at the ITIA but also at her colleague.

How Halep felt about the current World No. 2 player could be on display recently. Both of these players competed at the 2024 World Tennis League, and since all teams played against each other in the group stage, it was inevitable that the two would meet.

Halep represented The Kites while Swiatek played for The Eagles, and they met already on the first day of competition. While Jasmine Paolini was nominated for The Kites' women's singles match, Halep played in doubles.

She and Paolini beat Paula Badosa and Swiatek 7-5, and understandably, the post-match handshake was immediately in the spotlight.

First, Paolini shook hands with Swiatek, while Badosa shook hands with Halep and even shared a hug. Paolini then shook hands with Badosa, blocking the way for Swiatek and Halep.

The Polish player then made an effort to go around Badosa and shake hands with Halep, who respectfully shook her opponent's hand. It seemed like Halep might have forgotten her previous comments, or they might have been said in the heat of a moment.