Simona
Halep shared an emotional message following another delay in the doping case
decision.
The former
world No. 1 has now been a year since her last match on the WTA tour, which
ended in defeat to Daria Snigur in the first round of the 2022 US Open. The
Romanian was suspended in October of that year after testing positive for the
substance roxadustat in a doping control.
The London
District Court is responsible for deliberating on Halep's case, and she has
repeatedly denied any intentional use of prohibited substances and vowed never
to do so.
The 2-time
Grand Slam champion took to social media to express her frustration over
another delay in the case, which has prevented her from competing in
tournaments:
"Today
I found out that the decision in my case, which was expected this week, will be
further delayed," she wrote on her Instagram story. "This is terribly
disappointing, as I have consistently said that all I ask for is to be judged,"
she said.
"It is
hard to explain the emotional toll that all of these delays have had and
continue to have on me," added
Simona Halep.
"When
life gives you a hundred reasons to break down and cry, show life that you have
a million reasons to smile and laugh," she wrote on her Instagram story.
Halep
remained in the top-10 between 2014 and 2021 when injuries prevented her from
competing for several months, causing her to lose positions in the rankings.
However, in
2022, she made a comeback, winning her ninth WTA 1000 title at the Canadian
Open, which brought her back to world No. 6. She appeared to be a strong
contender for major tournaments once again.
Just weeks
away from turning 32 years old, Halep's return to the upper echelons of the WTA
ranking was thwarted due to the suspension, and there remains uncertainty about
when we might see the 2-time Grand Slam champion back in action.
