London | Halep provisionally suspended following positive drug test

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Friday that former World No 1 Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, Roxadustat, an anti-anaemia blood-boosting drug.

I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out. It’s not about the title or the money. It’s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years. Simona Halep

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who failed a drug test at the US Open in New York, is the highest-profile player to be suspended since Maria Sharapova 6 years ago.

“Simona Halep, a 31-year-old Romanian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended under Article 7.12.1 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP),” the ITIA said in a statement.

The Romanian suffered a shock loss to Ukraine’s Daria Snigur in the 1st-round of the US Open, which brought her season to an end last month following nasal surgery to improve her breathing.

In a statement on her social media channels, Halep wrote: “Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth.

“I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life.

“Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with.

“Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed.

“I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out.

“It’s not about the title or the money. It’s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years.”

31-year old Halep, who won the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon in 2019, is currently ranked No 9 in the world.

Simona Halep lost her opening round match in New York to Daria Snigur and brought her season to premature close in September to have nose surgery

Roxadustat, which is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), is a drug is used to help patients with kidney disease if they develop anaemia.

Until recently, symptoms only could be treated with medicine that patients usually inject themselves, alongside iron infusions in hospital twice a year, but a new tablet, taken 3 times a week at home, has proved to be just as effective.

It works by mimicking the body’s natural response to reduced oxygen in the blood by blocking an enzyme that limits the production of new red blood cells, while increasing the absorption of iron in the blood.

The news was announced on Friday by the ITIA, which oversees anti-doping and other integrity issues for the sport, in a statement saying: “The ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation on 7 October 2022 under Article 2.1 of the Programme (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) and/or Article 2.2 (Use of a Prohibited Substance without a valid TUE).

“Halep, who has a WTA ranking of 9, provided a sample whilst competing at the US Open in August 2022. The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that the A sample contained FG-4592 (Roxadustat), which is a prohibited substance listed in the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Adverse Analytical Findings for non-specified substances carry a mandatory provisional suspension.

“The player exercised their right to request that the B sample was analysed, which confirmed the finding in the A sample. While provisionally suspended, the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned tennis events organised by the governing bodies of the sport.”

The ITIA is the delegated third party, under the World Anti-Doping Code of the International Tennis Federation, the international governing body for the sport of tennis and signatory of the Code. The ITIA is responsible for the management and administration of anti-doping across professional tennis in accordance with the 2022 TADP.