Former world no. 1 on the WTA Tour, Simona Halep, is expected to lose her ranking status in the next two months amid her inactivity on the tennis courts.
Halep was provisionally suspended from the sport by ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) last October for a failed drug test during the 2022 US Open. The news came as a shock to the Romanian star who admitted that she felt confused and betrayed. Halep tested positive for Roxadustat - a banned substance that has been linked to doping before.
Halep is currently ranked world no. 55 as per current WTA Rankings with 1000 points. But having been hit with a second and separate violation of anti-doping regulations earlier this year - a decision Halep termed as harassment by the anti-doping authorities - it is highly unlikely we will see Halep pick up a racket anytime soon.
That throws Halep's long-term prospects in severe jeopardy, with her initial case far from being finalized. Halep only recently appeared before the London District Court after a longstanding delay in hearing by the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) and is awaiting a verdict for her initial doping case.
Halep's inactivity on the tennis courts will likely extend for far longer than anticipated. As a consequence, the Romanian is certain to drop points in Washington (30), Canadian Open (900), Cincinnati (60), and US Open (10), which all add up to precisely 1000 points. That means Halep will forfeit those points and will be unranked following the conclusion of the 2023 US Open.
The 31-year-old is a two-time Grand Slam champion and has not competed since last year's US Open, where she suffered a shock first-round defeat to Ukrainian qualifier Daria Snigur. Since then, Halep underwent nasal surgery and shut down her season entirely.
She has voiced her frustration and pleaded her innocence on her social medial platforms to vehemently deny the allegations of doping. It remains to be seen when and what is the verdict of last month's hearing.
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