Simona Halep’s doping case to be judged April 30
The father of Romanian tennis star Simona Halep, Stere Halep, recently said that the athlete, who was temporarily suspended for doping, will be judged on Sunday, April 30, by the Sports Resolutions Tribunal, two days after the initially scheduled date.
"We still don't know anything. We're waiting just like you are. We don't know what's happening. The deadline was initially set for the 28th, but from what we understand, it was postponed to 30th. We're doing okay. When you're innocent, you fight tooth and nail," Simona Halep's father said after leaving the National Arena, where he watched the FCSB-Farul football match, according to Libertatea.
Halep, 31, was no. 1 in women’s singles ranking and has multiple Grand Slam titles under her belt. She is currently 26th in the WTA ranking and has not played tennis since August 2022.
On October 21, 2022, Simona Halep announced that she had tested positive for Roxadustat, a banned substance, at the 2022 US Open, which took place in August. She was temporarily suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency on the same day.
Halep faces a four-year suspension because Roxadustat is included in the same category as erythropoietin by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The drug treats anemia in patients with kidney complications. In practice, it increases the production of red blood cells that facilitate the transport of oxygen in the blood, increasing the athlete's endurance.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Sabin Cirstoveanu)