(VIDEO) "Simona can't play": Cirstea opens up on being Romanian No. 1 amid Halep doping ban

Sorana Cirstea opened up on her feelings about being Romanian No. 1 amid Simona Halep's doping trial, just before it was revealed that the latter would be banned from the sport for four years.

Cirstea had a solid run at this year's US Open, defeating the likes of fifteenth seed Belinda Bencic in straight sets and ousting World No. 4 Elena Rybakina in the third round. The 33-year-old reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for the first time in her career and for the first time at a major since 2009.

Meanwhile, her compatriot and former World No. 1 Halep was waiting for the verdict on her case regarding two anti-doping violations. The first came in October last year after she tested positive for the banned substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. The 31-year-old was then hit with another charge in May due to irregularities in her biological passport.

The tribunal was delayed multiple times, leading Halep and several others to criticize the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for its handling of the case. Then, once the tribunal was held, the verdict was also delayed. It was during this time that Cirstea returned home to Romania from the US Open and was greeted by reporters asking her about the situation.

Cirstea, currently ranked No. 26 in the world, opened up on the difficult emotions associated with becoming Romanian No. 1 in Halep's absence.

"It was never a goal (To be the #1 Romanian) and especially the situation in which this happened is not a pleasant one. Simona can't play. I never thought of being the first Romanian, especially since we play internationally. It wasn't a goal, but I'm glad to be able to help Romanian tennis even if it's a nice result," she said.

She also voiced her support for Halep amid the delays, saying the handling of the case was 'not normal.'

"Everything that is happening is not normal, otherwise Simona would have been here. No one sees this delay as normal and no one can understand what is happening with her case. It's normal, we're in this sport together. It's not normal for it to take so long to be judged and given a decision.

"This waiting is extremely hard, I don't even want to put myself in her position. I hope from the bottom of my heart that it will be resolved soon," she said.

Not long after Cirstea spoke to reporters, the verdict on Halep was announced. However, it was not good news for the player as she was given a four-year doping ban.