Simona Halep is not just fighting to clear her name of wrongdoing because of doping but has also sued the company that produced the contaminated supplement.
Halep underwent random in-competition testing at the 2022 US Open, in which her urine sample returned a positive result for Roxadustat, which is an anti-anemia medication that is contained in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited substance list.
Roxadustat is considered a blood doping agent because it stimulates the production of red blood cells. Additionally, Halep's athlete biological passport contained inconsistencies, which helped to chart likely cases of doping, and she was charged with a second and separate count of violating the anti-doping regulations.
The Romanian was handed a four-year suspension from the sport by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) last September but has repeatedly claimed she is innocent. Halep has submitted her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) this month to try to reduce the ban.
The former World No. 1 is confident that she will overturn the suspension and hopes that she will return to the court in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. A lot of fingers have been pointed at the people culpable of putting the 32-year-old in a mess.
One of them is her ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who admitted that he recommended the collagen powder to Halep. They also established the source of the Keto MCT supplement, which was contaminated with Roxadustat and which was not indicated on the label.
Halep has launched legal action against Canadian company Quantum Nutrition, which operates as Schinoussa Superfoods, at the New York state court in Manhattan.
She believes the company was responsible for manufacturing the contaminated supplement. The two-time Grand Slam champion is seeking $10 million in damages.
Neither Halep's lawyers nor the company has issued any comment on this latest development, as reported by Reuters. In the meantime, Halep will await a verdict from CAS and will continue to train in Dubai, where she recently relocated.
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