My fight continues.
Former world number one Simona Halep is in the news for all the wrong reasons after she was suspended for four years after testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat after the US Open 2022.
Halep has been accused of using the substance between March and October last year but it appears that it did not help her win anything big.
During that time, Halep suffered defeats in the second round of the French Open and the first round of the US Open.
She also ended up falling short in the semifinal of Wimbledon, WTA events in Birmingham and Indian Wells. During that time, Halep won just one title which came in a WTA event in Toronto.
After the announcement of the suspension, Halep stated that she would continue to fight to prove her innocence in a social media post.
“Today, a tribunal under the tennis anti-doping programme announced a tentative decision in my case,” she wrote. “The last year has been the hardest match of my life, and unfortunately my fight continues.
“I have devoted my life to the beautiful game of tennis. I take the rules that govern our sport very seriously and take pride in the fact I have never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance. I refused to accept their decision of a four-year ban.”
Halep, who has not played a single tennis match since September last year, has an impressive record while playing at the highest level.
The 31-year-old has won two Grand Slams in her career. The first of those victories came in 2018 when she lifted the French Open after beating America’s Sloane Stephens in the final with a score of 3–6, 6–4, 6–1.
Halep’s second major triumph came a year later in Wimbledon where she won the title after beating legendary Serena Williams in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2.
My fight continues.