Ex-Wimbledon and French Open champion Simona Halep has been banned for 4 years for anti-doping rule violations.
The 31-year-old Romanian tennis star has been banned for 2 separate doping offences, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) stated.
Halep has vowed to clear “my name of these false allegations”, and plans to enchantment.
The former world primary had been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing constructive for banned blood-booster Roxadustat on the US Open final 12 months.
She was subsequently charged with irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport and each fees have been upheld following an impartial tribunal.
The panel concluded Halep “had committed intentional anti-doping rule violations”.
Halep, who gained Wimbledon in 2019 after beating Serena Williams within the last and triumphed on the French Open a 12 months earlier, has denied wrongdoing.
In a press release, she stated she “refused to accept” the four-year-ban, which runs till October 2026.
She added: “I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court.”
“I intend to appeal this decision to The Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question.”
Halep has denied knowingly taking the banned substance and stated she had proof to indicate that small quantities of the anaemia drug entered her system from a licensed complement that was contaminated.
She stated she had adjusted her dietary dietary supplements forward of the laborious courtroom season final 12 months following recommendation from her “trusted team and physiotherapist”.
“None of the listed ingredients included any prohibited substances. However, we now know – and the tribunal agreed – one of them was contaminated with roxadustat,” she stated.
Source: information.sky.com”