"It’s disappointing, I wouldn’t expect hearing this news" - Swiatek on Halep's doping test
WTA
Iga Swiatek admitted that she was surprised to hear about Simona Halep's positive doping test.
Halep tested positive for a banned substance only a few days ago. As a result of her positive test, the Romanian player was provisionally suspended from competing.
Of course, the former WTA World No. 1 immediately denied taking any prohibited substance. That's why she has decided to fight to prove her innocence.
Still, even though Halep said that she didn't take any banned substance knowingly, many of her colleagues were asked what they thought about the situation.
For obvious reasons, also the current World No. 1 was asked about the situation. Swiatek was asked about Halep's case during her press conference ahead of the 2022 WTA Finals. She admitted that she was surprised by Halep's positive test, as she always saw her as a fair player.
"Well, for sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn’t expect hearing this news. Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair and she was a great example for me."
Swiatek is obviously sad for Halep, but at the same time, she wants to take this as a lesson for herself. The Polish player knows that it's possible to test positive, even if a player doesn't take any substance intentionally, and this case reminded her of that.
"I don’t know how it works in terms of the system ... Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever? Hopefully, it’s going to be more clear for fans and for us."
"But it’s disappointing, and she must feel really bad. From my point of view, the most important thing for me is just taking care of myself, being safe always, making my environment more safe and being careful. So we’ll do that."
