A two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 has been hit with a second doping charge in the space of a few months.
Romanian pro Simona Halep has been accused of yet another doping infraction by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after a test discovered irregularities in her athlete biological passport, per ESPN.
Halep is on a provisional suspension, having failed a doping test last October. This latest development is in reference to a new finding but it does pile on.
“We understand that today’s announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation. From the outset of this process – and indeed any other at the ITIA — we have remained committed to engaging with Ms. Halep in an empathetic, efficient, and timely manner,” Nicole Sapstead, the senior director for anti-doping at the ITIA, said in a statement.
Halep has since taken to Twitter to deliver a lengthy statement in which she’s described current circumstances as the “worst nightmare” she’s ever gone through. The 31-year-old insists she’s a “victim of contamination” who is very much against cheating.
Halep revealed she sent evidence pertaining to the contamination to the ITIA in December in an interview with Tennis Majors last month and had hoped her matter would be heard by an independent tribunal in February. However, the date was postponed to a new date in March which has also been pushed back.
