WTA Release Statement After Halep Gets Struck With Four-Year Doping Ban
WTA
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) released their own statement in response to former World No.1 Simona Halep receiving a four year ban for previous doping violations.
The WTA are the governing body for women's professional tennis and they delivered their own response in saying that they will "support the decisions made through the process" and "will continue to follow this closely."
The final ruling in one of the more elongated and high-profile doping cases was that Halep had intentionally and knowingly took a prohibited substance, and that she'd committed multiple anti-doping violations. If this ruling stays in place then Halep will not be able to return to tennis competitively until October 2026.
However, if Halep succeeds in her determination to appeal the accusations that have been levelled at her, then she may have a slender bit of hope that the lengthy ban can be altered somewhat. But the future does look very bleak for the Romanian in truth.
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The WTA's stance on this ruling was released in a statement as follows:
"It is of the utmost importance for players to be aware of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program rules and to follow them. The Independent Tribunal has made its ruling surrounding Simona’s case and under the TADP, the decision may be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The WTA will support the decisions reached through the process and will continue to follow this closely.”
Halep continues to protest her innocence as she has done throughout the entire process since her positive test back in October 2022.
"Ahead of the hard court season in 2022, upon recommendation from my trusted team and physiotherapist, I adjusted my nutritional supplements. None of the listed ingredients included any prohibited substance, however we now know - and the Tribunal agreed - one of them was contaminated with Roxadustat. I was tested almost weekly after my initial positive test through early 2023, all of which came back negative."
Halep continues to argue her case that no prohibited substance was found in her blood or urine samples except for that one occasion at the US Open 2022. Her persistence in saying that the level of Roxadustat was substantially low is all but making a messy situation just a little bit messier moving forward.
