Mats Wilander finds it very hard to believe that Simona Halep would take any banned substance intentionally.
The former player admitted that he doesn't believe Halep would knowingly take something forbidden when speaking to Eurosport in his capacity as a tennis analyst. The news shocked everyone, including the Swede, because it contradicts all he had been told about the Romanian.
“My heart goes out to Simona Halep,” began Wilander adding: “I would never claim that I know her. But I have watched her play a lot of tennis matches over the years and I have interviewed her quite a few times. I would say of all the players I have come across, she is one of the ones that there is no way that she would intentionally do anything.”
Halep now faces a battle to clear her name and return to tennis as she was gearing up for a pivotal season in 2023. Commenting further on the situation, Wilander said: “She said she is going to try to clear her name. You never know, it is possible these days that you inadvertently get something in you that you might not know about or whatever. But again, I can’t imagine that there is an athlete out there in the professional tennis world that does not know what is okay to take or whatever."
“So I am thinking it is a clear mistake. Somewhere along the way, I can not imagine… I think Simona Halep is a great athlete and a great human being, and my heart goes out to her. I hope she can clear her name because I want to see her out on a court because I am assuming that she is innocent, she has a great spirit about her." concluded Wilander.
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