"I feel helpless facing such harassment": Halep feels targeted in statement amid second anti-doping breach

Simona Halep was charged with a second anti-doping breach earlier today (Friday) as her fight to prove her innocence hit a huge stumbling block.

Halep has now responded and believes she is being targeted and is a victim of 'harassment' despite the former World No.1 establishing that she was a 'victim of contamination'.

She believes that they are finding any way to prove her guilty and that she will continue to fight for perceived justice at a hearing at the end of May.

"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," said Halep.

"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 tried two times to have the opportunity to be judged by an Independent Tribunal and the ITIA has constantly found reasons to postpone."

"Now that we have clearly established that I have been a victim of contamination, they came up with a so-called not normal evolution of my blood. Three World renowned experts that have studied my blood tests have been extremely clear that my blood is totally normal."

"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."

"The only thing I hope for at this point is to have the possibility to finally access the independent and impartial judges in a tribunal, that will give me the chance to prove my innocence."

"I have full trust in justice and I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is scheduled at the end of May after several delays by the ITIA."