Tennis fans have reacted with shock and outrage after it was revealed that Simona Halep's name has been dropped from the US Open entry list at the last minute. She will be replaced in the main draw by Taylor Townsend.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep was withdrawn from the tournament's qualifying draw amid a provisional doping suspension. After last year's US Open, the 31-year-old tested positive for a banned substance called roxadustat and has been unable to compete since.

In May, Halep was accused of a second doping violation due to irregularities in her biological passport. However, the Romanian player denies having knowingly taken a banned substance, claiming that she has undertaken 10 tests since her positive result which have all come back negative.

Halep had hoped to have her name cleared at a hearing in February, but it was postponed several times. The tribunal finally took place recently, but the verdict has been delayed. Following the second charge against her in May, Halep released an angry statement calling out the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

"Since October 7, when I got charged by the ITIA for a suspicion of doping, I have lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life.

"Not only has my name been soiled in the worst possible way, but I am facing a constant determination from the ITIA for a reason that I cannot understand, to prove my guilt while I haven't EVER even thought of taking any illicit substance.

"I feel helpless facing such harassment and a motivation on their behalf to prove me guilty of something I never did. Once again, all my life I have been totally against any sort of cheating. It doesn't align with my values," she wrote.

Meanwhile, fans have taken to social media to support Halep by voicing their outrage at this recent development.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. There has to be someone who can help??? I mean honestly. Players Council could maybe step in? It has been a year. 1 year without knowing what will happen to her. She deserves better. I just have never seen anything like this in my life. Help her!!!" wrote one Twitter user.

"@itia_tennis how can an institution that advocates for integrity justify delaying the verdict!? This delay is deeply unsettling and troubling to countless tennis fans, particularly @Simona_Halep. It's difficult to imagine any reasonable explanation for such a deliberate postponement," added another.

"They are destroying her. I don't believe a test result should end your career considering you could be set up intentionally or get exposure by accident. Sad story," commented a third.