Bucharest, Romania- Two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one tennis player, Simona Halep, has disputed doping claims by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
According to ITIA, the 31-year-old Romanian tested positive for the anti-anemia drug Roxadustat in New York, at the US Open in August.
Roxadustat is a blood-boosting drug used in the treatment of anemia. It is a Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) activating agent which is banned at all times, in and out of competition. HIF agents can stimulate the natural response to hypoxia (insufficient oxygen) in the body and therefore, result in increased production of red blood cells, in turn, increases the delivery of oxygen to muscles and can lead to an increase in endurance.
“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).
While provisionally suspended, the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned tennis events organized by the governing bodies of the sport,” read a statement from ITIA.
However, Halep said she denies knowingly taking the drug and says the results which were collated by the ITIA showed extremely low levels of Roxadustat in her system.
“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 titles or money. It’s about honor, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years,” said Halep.
As a first time-offender, Halep very likely faces a suspension of up to two years, which would begin roughly at the time of her most recent competition.
It is rare for an athlete to test positive for Roxadustat, but in 2016 Chilean cyclist Carlos Oyarzun was given a four-year ban following a positive test for the drug at the 2015 Pan American Games, and the French racewalker, Bertrand Moulinet also received a four-year ban for the drug in the same year.
