Sports
Simona Halep handed four-year ban from tennis for doping breaches
imona Halep, the two-time Grand Slam winner and former long-time women’s world No1, has been handed a four-year suspension after breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), the International Tennis Integrity Agency has confirmed.
The Romanian has been provisionally banned from the sport since October 2022 and will now be unable to play until late 2026, though the ruling is subject to an appeal and Halep has already confirmed her intention to take her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Halep, a Wimbledon champion in 2019 and French Open winner in 2018 who has spent 64 weeks as a world No1 during her career, said in a statement on Tuesday, shortly after her ban was announced: “Today, a tribunal under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme announced a tentative decision in my case.
“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.”
More to follow
