"There is no way she's cheating" - Darren Cahill dismisses Halep's doping scandal
WTA
Former Simona Halep's coach, Darren Cahill, is adamant that she has not cheated ahead of her pivotal hearing case this month, during which the Romanian player will present her case.
Halep is currently provisionally suspended and unable to compete on the WTA Tour or in any ITF tournaments, including the four Grand Slams and the Billie Jean King Cup.
It came after a banned substance was detected in her urine sample after her first-round loss at the 2022 US Open. She provided a second sample, which showed the same result, after which she was suspended.
Her quest to prove her innocence began then, and former coach Darren Cahill never doubted her words. He spoke about his former player during a recent appearance on The Big Deal podcast.
Halep claims she was unaware of the way the substance entered her body and that it wasn't deliberately. Cahill naturally agrees with the former World No. 1, as he has worked with her and believes her.
"I think a lot about Simona, and I feel bad every time I think about the experiences she goes through. I don't have much news, but I understand there will be a hearing in February that will give her a chance to present her case."
The 57-year-old Australian came out in support of his former player immediately as the news broke, adamantly claiming that she would never take any banned substance knowingly.
He also noted how obsessively careful she was, checking everything multiple times before even thinking of taking a supplement when the two worked together.
"I made a statement about Simona Halep's case and I'm willing to die next to those words because of her integrity and her DNA. There's no way she's cheating. She is a great woman and a great person. There's no way she could have done the wrong thing."
