Romania’s former world primary Simona Halep mentioned on Tuesday that she would attraction to sport’s highest courtroom towards the Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company (ITIA) choice to ban her for 4 years after two separate anti-doping rule violations.
The 31-year-old former Wimbledon and French Open champion had been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing optimistic for banned blood-booster roxadustat on the US Open final 12 months the place she misplaced within the first spherical.
Halep mentioned she “refused to simply accept their (ITIA) choice of a four-year ban” which runs till October 6, 2026.
“I’m persevering with to coach and do every thing in my energy to clear my identify of those false allegations and return to the courtroom,” Halep mentioned in a press release to Reuters.
“I intend to attraction this choice to The Court docket of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all authorized treatments towards the complement firm in query.”
The ITIA mentioned earlier on Tuesday it got here to its conclusion primarily based on the gathering and evaluation of 51 blood samples offered by Halep.
“The primary (cost) associated to an Adversarial Analytical Discovering (AAF) for the prohibited substance roxadustat on the US Open in 2022, carried out by way of common urine testing throughout competitors,” the ITIA mentioned in a press release.
“The second cost associated to irregularities in Halep’s Athlete Organic Passport (ABP).”
Halep strongly denies knowingly taking roxadustat and mentioned she had proof to indicate small quantities of the anaemia drug entered her system from a contaminated licensed complement.
“The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument that that they had taken a contaminated complement, however decided the amount the participant ingested couldn’t have resulted within the focus of roxadustat discovered within the optimistic pattern,?” the ITIA mentioned.
It added that the ABP cost was additionally upheld as three unbiased consultants have been unanimous that “doubtless doping” was the reason for the irregularities in Halep’s profile.
“The quantity of proof for the tribunal to contemplate in each the roxadustat and ABP proceedings was substantial,” Karen Moorhouse, CEO on the ITIA, mentioned.
Halep had beforehand accused the ITIA of searching for to additional delay her unbiased tribunal doping listening to and mentioned she was being denied her proper to be heard.
SUPPLEMENT CONTAMINATION
Halep defined how she adjusted her dietary dietary supplements forward of the laborious courtroom season final 12 months following suggestions from “my trusted group and physiotherapist”.
“Not one of the listed components included any prohibited substances. Nonetheless, we now know – and the tribunal agreed – one among them was contaminated with roxadustat,” she mentioned.
Halep additionally accused the ITIA of bringing an ABP cost after the professional group discovered her id, saying that two consultants modified their opinion in favour of ITIA’s allegations.
“The ITIA relied solely on the opinions of those consultants who appeared solely at my blood parameters – which I’ve maintained for greater than 10 years in the identical vary,” she mentioned.
“This group ignored the actual fact no prohibited substance has ever been present in my blood or urine samples with the only real exception of 1 August 29 optimistic check for roxadustat.”
Halep defined that since she had examined adverse three days earlier, the publicity might solely have been unintentional.
Moorhouse mentioned the ITIA had adopted the correct processes in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code.
“?The panel recognised that applicable process had been adopted throughout the written choice,” Moorhouse mentioned.
The WTA mentioned it was necessary for gamers to concentrate on the game’s Anti-Doping Programme guidelines.
“The choice could also be appealed to the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport. The WTA will help the choices reached by way of the method and can proceed to comply with this intently,” it mentioned.
The 31-year-old former Wimbledon and French Open champion had been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing optimistic for banned blood-booster roxadustat on the US Open final 12 months the place she misplaced within the first spherical.
Halep mentioned she “refused to simply accept their (ITIA) choice of a four-year ban” which runs till October 6, 2026.
“I’m persevering with to coach and do every thing in my energy to clear my identify of those false allegations and return to the courtroom,” Halep mentioned in a press release to Reuters.
“I intend to attraction this choice to The Court docket of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all authorized treatments towards the complement firm in query.”
The ITIA mentioned earlier on Tuesday it got here to its conclusion primarily based on the gathering and evaluation of 51 blood samples offered by Halep.
“The primary (cost) associated to an Adversarial Analytical Discovering (AAF) for the prohibited substance roxadustat on the US Open in 2022, carried out by way of common urine testing throughout competitors,” the ITIA mentioned in a press release.
“The second cost associated to irregularities in Halep’s Athlete Organic Passport (ABP).”
Halep strongly denies knowingly taking roxadustat and mentioned she had proof to indicate small quantities of the anaemia drug entered her system from a contaminated licensed complement.
“The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument that that they had taken a contaminated complement, however decided the amount the participant ingested couldn’t have resulted within the focus of roxadustat discovered within the optimistic pattern,?” the ITIA mentioned.
It added that the ABP cost was additionally upheld as three unbiased consultants have been unanimous that “doubtless doping” was the reason for the irregularities in Halep’s profile.
“The quantity of proof for the tribunal to contemplate in each the roxadustat and ABP proceedings was substantial,” Karen Moorhouse, CEO on the ITIA, mentioned.
Halep had beforehand accused the ITIA of searching for to additional delay her unbiased tribunal doping listening to and mentioned she was being denied her proper to be heard.
SUPPLEMENT CONTAMINATION
Halep defined how she adjusted her dietary dietary supplements forward of the laborious courtroom season final 12 months following suggestions from “my trusted group and physiotherapist”.
“Not one of the listed components included any prohibited substances. Nonetheless, we now know – and the tribunal agreed – one among them was contaminated with roxadustat,” she mentioned.
Halep additionally accused the ITIA of bringing an ABP cost after the professional group discovered her id, saying that two consultants modified their opinion in favour of ITIA’s allegations.
“The ITIA relied solely on the opinions of those consultants who appeared solely at my blood parameters – which I’ve maintained for greater than 10 years in the identical vary,” she mentioned.
“This group ignored the actual fact no prohibited substance has ever been present in my blood or urine samples with the only real exception of 1 August 29 optimistic check for roxadustat.”
Halep defined that since she had examined adverse three days earlier, the publicity might solely have been unintentional.
Moorhouse mentioned the ITIA had adopted the correct processes in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code.
“?The panel recognised that applicable process had been adopted throughout the written choice,” Moorhouse mentioned.
The WTA mentioned it was necessary for gamers to concentrate on the game’s Anti-Doping Programme guidelines.
“The choice could also be appealed to the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport. The WTA will help the choices reached by way of the method and can proceed to comply with this intently,” it mentioned.
