Sorana Cirstea believes Simona Halep is innocent: “I know Simona. I don't think she ever consciously doped. This suspension is for an innocent person…” (via Sport Romania)
Sorana Cirstea: "Serena as a player was extraordinarily good. As a person, she always had this arrogance"
Tennis NewsWednesday, 20 September 2023 at 16:35
Sorana Cirstea has spoken out about Serena Williams' remarks on the Simona Halep doping controversy, branding the American tennis legend 'arrogant.'
The tennis world was left divided last week when former World No. 1 Halep was hit with a four-year suspension for doping violations. The Romanian player was provisionally suspended last October after she tested positive for the banned substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.
After almost a year, the verdict was given and it was not what Halep was hoping for. In the aftermath of the news, some players such as the 31-year-old's former coach Patrick Mouratoglou rushed to defend her, while others took the opportunity to throw shade.
Williams' response criticized by Cirstea
One of those in the latter category was 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams. The 41-year-old posted the cryptic tweet "8 is a better number" on X, formerly known as Twitter, soon after the news was revealed.
This seemed to suggest that Halep's four-year sentence should be doubled but also refers to when Williams faced her at the 2019 Wimbledon final, with Halep winning the title in straight sets. This is because if the result had been reversed, Williams would have won her eighth title at the grasscourt major.
Now, Halep's compatriot Cirstea has called out Williams, saying that she is 'arrogant.'
"Serena as a player was extraordinarily good. As a person, she always had this arrogance. She didn’t accept when someone could beat her or took a title from her," she said.
Cirstea added her defense of Halep, saying she believes her to be innocent.
"I know Simona. I don’t think she ever consciously doped. This suspension is for an innocent person. I was afraid to take anything, I was afraid to take an aspirin. I’m maybe a little paranoid, but it’s no joke. It’s every athlete’s nightmare," she added.
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