Former
British doubles No. 1
Tara Moore commented on
Simona Halep's swift return to
the Miami Open after a 17-month doping ban. Moore expressed joy at the decision
for Halep to immediately rejoin the WTA Tour, though she criticized that the
same opportunity isn't afforded to other players.
Moore was
suspended from April 2022 to December 2023 after testing positive for the
anabolic steroids boldenone and nandralone but was eventually cleared by the
International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
In Halep's
case, she initially faced a 4-year ban for roxadust, but it was proven to be an
unintentional ingestion due to contaminated vitamins. As a result, the
suspension was reduced to 9 months. Nevertheless, Halep has already spent 17
months away from the courts, and her return will be immediate, confirmed with a
wild card for the main draw of the Miami Open.
Moore took
to social media to share her opinion on the 2-times Grand Slam champion's
comeback: “Great that Simona Halep is able to get back onto her feet so
quickly. Shame it’s not the same for myself and other players who have been
exonerated that aren’t so high on the totem pole. WTA need a rule…”
“That if a
player is found with NO FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE AT ALL they should at least be
given a protective. Not even a welcome back email or even a cursory ‘here’s the
membership for the rest of the year you didn’t get to play when you were
falsely accused’ it’s just disheartening.”
