Former No. 1 player Simona Halep has been banned for four years in the women's tennis rankings. Today the International Tennis Integrity Agency said the 31-year-old Romanian star had 'willfully' broken anti-doping rules.
Halep tested positive for doping last year after taking the banned sports substance roxadustat. Halep was charged with another anti-doping rule violation last May, which resulted in "irregularities in her biological athlete passport."
Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep was initially banned in October last year. The Independent Judicial Commission said he has now been banned for a full term, which will begin on October 7, 2022 and end on October 6, 2026. However, Halep can appeal against this sentence.
Halep appeared before the Independent Judicial Commission last June to defend herself. On September 11, the Commission found that Halep had intentionally violated Article 2 of Tennis' Anti-Doping Policy. Halep's urine sample tested positive for roxadustat at the US Open on August 29 last year.
Another doping rule violation was discovered last year after 51 urine samples given by Halep as part of athletes' biological passports were tested. Halep said experts believe she accidentally ingested the banned substance.
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