Ion Tiriac takes pessimistic view on Halep doping case: "In my opinion, they have finished Simona's career"

Ion Tiriac doesn't have a very optimistic view about Simona Hale's doping case alleging that her not playing is basically the end of her tennis career.

Simona Halep has been away from tennis since last year due to the doping case which was opened when she tested positive for a banned substance. Irregularities in her biological passport this year added another charge to her case which made her return even less likely than it already was.

The Romanian released multiple statements complaining about the process because all this time lost is valuable time she will never get back. For a player who is not the youngest anymore, it's a problem, one Tiriac basically means that her career as we know it is over:

"In my opinion, they have finished Simona's career, and someone has to answer here. How much can Simona ask for? 100 million, 200? Who is the culprit? Someone, however, is guilty, but it is sad what is happening to Simona. I don't compare it to the fact that we are Romanians or I don't know what. When someone slaps you, if you don't slap them back - my father taught me 80 years ago - it means you're a servant and only on your knees."

Tiriac was always proud to be Romanian as was Halep in spite of some negative stereotypes the nation has. He explained how he stood up for himself and his country in the past

"We are Romanians and we deserve this. If we stood up, instead of sitting... A sword doesn't cut a bowed head, remember? I stood up both in Sydney when it was the thing, I stood when he played the wrong anthem for me in the USA at the official opening of the Davis Cup and I walked off the court. For me, being Romanian was a matter of pride. That's how it was and remains. Now, these are us Romanians and this is how we parade,"