Former world tennis No.1 Simona Halep, suspended since October for an anti-doping rule violation, is facing a new case in connection with “irregularities” in the data of her biological passport, announced Friday the tennis anti-doping authority (ITIA).
“The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirms that Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has been charged with another separate violation of the tennis anti-doping program, in relation to irregularities in her biological athlete passport. (ABP)”, writes the instance in a press release.
The former world No.1, victorious at Roland-Garros in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, has been provisionally suspended since last October after testing positive for roxadustat at the US Open in August. This banned molecule stimulates the production of red blood cells and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Halep faces up to four years of suspension in this first case.
The new case, confirmed Friday evening by the ITIA, is “based on an evaluation of the profile of Ms. Halep’s biological passport by a group of independent experts”, specifies the body. An athlete’s biological passport makes it possible to monitor various blood parameters over a long period of time. It helps identify potential anti-doping rule violations.
“Today’s announcement adds complexity to a highly publicized situation”
“We are aware that today’s announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation,” commented Nicole Sapstead, ITIA Senior Anti-Doping Director. “It would be inappropriate for us to comment on the details before the process is concluded, but we will continue to engage with the independent investigative agency Sport Resolutions as well as Ms Halep’s representatives as soon as possible. »
Halep is the first leading player caught in the anti-doping nets since the resounding suspension of Maria Sharapova in 2016. Tested positive for Meldonium, the Russian star was finally given a fifteen-month suspension. In an interview with Tennis Majors published at the end of April, the Romanian player invoked a “contamination of one of her food supplements” to explain the positive control during the US Open.
“I have never consumed, in conscience, the slightest prohibited product”, assured the 31-year-old player, adding that experts appointed by her “have established that these traces were the result of contamination, contamination of one of (his) food supplements, which explains the very low quantity which was detected in (his) body”.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency manages and administers the fight against doping in tennis by delegation from the International Federation (ITF).
