Tennis authorities have postponed Simona Halep’s doping case hearing for the third time earlier this week, prompting her former coach Patrick Mouratoglou to lend his support while slamming the ITF (International Tennis Federation) and ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency). Halep faced a provisional ban in October last year after Roxadustat was found in her body during the 2022 US Open. This drug stimulates the production of red blood cells and is included in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of prohibited substances. Last week, the Romanian was charged with a separate offense as the ITIA cited “irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).”
ITF accused of flexing its power
The hearing was expected to take place on May 28, but it was postponed until next month, leading to Halep venting her frustration on social media on Wednesday, May 24. Reacting to her Instagram post, French coach Mouratoglou stated that it was just a case of the ITF flexing its power and giving itself unnecessary importance. He added that most of the players whom the ITF accused of doping proved to be “victims of contamination,” while the real culprits were on the courts. Mouratoglou expressed his disappointment in the ITF, saying “this is a shame for our sport!”
Halep claims case of contamination
In her social media post, Simona Halep expressed that she was “devastated” and had already proven a case of contamination in her supplement last December. Halep wrote, “Once again, tonight, I am devastated. I am waiting to be judged since last October. In December, I have finally been able, thanks to experts, to show that the lot of the supplement I was using had been contaminated, which caused the positive control.”
Emotional toll on Simona Halep
In a conversation with “Tennis Majors” last month, Simona Halep spoke about the emotional toll that the doping charges had taken on her. While she had decided to not speak publicly until the case was dismissed, the Romanian eventually gave in to the mounting pressure. She stated, “I’m sure they really want to know what’s going on and why it’s taking so long. I wanted to remain silent until the case was solved but it’s too heavy, so I felt that it would be really good for me to speak about it out loud.” After missing the 2023 Australian Open, Halep is also set to miss out on the French Open and Wimbledon, potentially causing her to drop further down the rankings. She is currently ranked 34th in the world.
