Simona Halep's former coach, Darren Cahill, and her current physical trainer, Teo Cercel, have both confirmed that they will testify in Halep's favour at her upcoming doping trial.
Halep returned a positive test result in a routine anti-doping screening test last month, which was taken during the US Open.
The two-time Grand Slam winner's sample revealed banned anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat in her system, and she was immediately provisionally suspended, pending a trial in which the former World No. 1 must show concrete evidence that she did not knowingly ingest the substance.
This trial has its first two witnesses confirmed, and they are both uniting behind Simona Halep.
At the time of the positive test, Darren Cahill said, "Firstly, and most importantly, there is NO chance Simona knowingly or purposely took any substance on the banned list. None. Zero".
Cahill continued, "She is an athlete that stressed about anything prescribed to her by a medical professional (which was rarely), or about any supplement that she used or considered. Simona wore out the words 'please double check this, triple check this to make sure it’s legal, safe and permitted. If you are not sure, I’m not taking it'".
Cahill shared this via a social media post, and had been adamant ever since that Halep did not knowingly take Roxadustat.
His impassioned post continued, "Simona’s integrity is faultless, she respects her peers, she loves the game and she always has her feet firmly planted on the ground as a humble, approachable champion. Honesty has always been her greatest strength and her biggest weakness. We would often laugh about the fact that she can’t act and can’t tell a little white lie. Ask her a question in a press conference and she will blurt out an honest answer".
Most of the tennis world were completely shocked by Halep's positive result, and the general consensus is that this is a genuine mistake.
However, Halep faces a very difficult situation as she must provide concrete evidence showing the contrary.
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