Barty hopes 'exceptional person' Halep gets chance to explain doping case: "There's two sides to every story"

Barty expressed her support for Simona Halep and requested that her version be heard regarding the doping case.

Former tennis player Ashleigh Barty gave an interview in which she expressed her opinion about the case of Simona Halep, who was provisionally suspended due to an altered test following her participation in the US Open.

Halep's path during 2022 had been ascending. After falling in the rankings in 2021 due to injuries, the Romanian achieved good results last year that took her to world No. 6, including semifinals at Wimbledon and a trophy at the Canada Open.

The Australian spoke about one of her rivals in recent years, in fact, both occupied the top spot in the rankings in 2019 and faced each other four times (with a 3-1 record in favor of Halep), also, both have been champions at the French Open and Wimbledon.

“I love & respect Simo. I spoke to her over the last 12 months..She’s an exceptional person,” Barty said.

“I hope she has a chance to explain her side bc there’s 2 sides to every story. You’d struggle to find anyone who wouldn’t want to see her back doing what she loves,” she added.

At the moment, there is no date set for the trial in which Halep will seek to prove her innocence. The 2-time Grand Slam champion could be suspended for up to 5 years if the ITF determines that she is guilty.