Serena
Williams' former hitting partner Sascha Bajin said he agrees with
Kim Clijsters
regarding concerns that
Simona Halep's team may not face consequences amid the
doping case.
The
Romanian tennis player has maintained her innocence since the controversy
began. Halep received a four-year suspension after the 2022 US Open, where she
tested positive for the supplement Roxadust, which enhances hemoglobin
production in the body.
Following
the revelation of the anti-doping rule violation, the International Tennis
Integrity Agency (ITIA) imposed a suspension on Halep from all competitions
until 2026. However, after several trial delays, the former world No. 1 was
able to defend herself. Her team, led by
Patrick Mouratoglou, acknowledged
providing her with the supplement but claimed they were unaware that it was
contaminated with the substance that affected Halep.
In the
latest episode of "Served with Andy Roddick," 4-times Grand Slam
champion Kim Clijsters expressed her concern that there are no sanctions
against Halep's team: "To me, the biggest red flag is the team. I have a
really hard time that there is no consequence for the team, that it's just the
athlete," Clijsters said.
Serena
Williams' former hitting partner, Sascha Bajin, commented on X (formerly
Twitter) that he agrees with the former Belgian tennis player and believes it
is unfair that only the athletes can receive sanctions in doping cases, as
responsibility could extend to the team:
"I
think Kim [Clijsters] is onto something here. I share her thoughts about
coaches that give players supplements. Don't think it's fair that only the
players get the consequences. What you guys think?" Bajin wrote on X
(formerly Twitter).
