Two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep has appealed to the Cas Court of Sport. She had been banned for a long time for tennis anti-doping violations
Tennis player Simona Halep has filed an appeal with the Cas Sports Court. The former world number one is thus challenging the four-year ban imposed on her by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) for violations of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program.
According to the Cas, the 32-year-old Romanian has asked for the verdict to be overturned and is pleading for a lighter sentence. It has not yet been determined when the Cas will announce a decision in the case.
Wrongful violations by Halep?
The two-time Grand Slam tournament winner had given a positive sample during her participation in the US Open in August 2022. She was found to have the banned substance roxadustat, which was on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2022 Prohibited List. A second charge related to irregularities in her athlete biological passport.
A hearing had taken place in London on June 28-29 this year, including hearings with scientific experts from both sides, Itia had said on Sept. 12. The court ruled that Halep had intentionally violated the anti-doping program.
Halep had always maintained her innocence in both cases, explaining the positive doping sample by saying she had been the victim of contamination. The court accepted this argument, but at the same time found that the amount allegedly taken by the player could not have led to the detected roxadustat concentration in the doping sample, Itia announced.
