Simona Halep said that she stopped working with Patrik Muratoglu’s team after a four-year suspension from tennis, and Alexandra Stevenson, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 1999, also commented on the doping case of the former WTA leader.

Simona HalepPhoto: Kieran McManus / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

>> The legendary Chris Evert and the perpetrators of the doping case Simona Halep

“Symona Halep gave her whole athletic being to Patrick Muratoglu’s team. It was stupid,” says Alexandra Stevenson

The former American player believes Simona was wrong to put her entire career in the hands of Patrick Muratoglu, and says the Romanian should have taken extra precautions with the substances she used.

“Symona Halep has said she will never trust again after Patrick Muratoglu admitted that he or his team gave her collagen. I ordered collagen from the company.

It’s all amazing to me because she’s given everything to her trainer: her nutrition, her training, her confidence. She gave all her sports essence to Muratoglu’s team.

Was it smart? No, of course it wasn’t smart, because at the end of the day it’s the player’s responsibility. As much as you want others to care about you as a player, you have to remember that it’s your body. What you put into your body is what happens to it. It was the same with Maria Sharapova.

For those listening, you have to be very careful about what you take to improve your performance. You should make sure it’s double checked and go see a doctor.

It’s so interesting that she still says she’s innocent. I know Chris Evert said she is innocent and should not be suspended for four years. And I thought it was great that he defended her, but in the end he took what he took, and that’s why it’s hard for me, as an athlete, to come to terms with the situation,” – Alexandra Stevensonon the Serving Aces podcast.

Check out this Instagram post

A post shared by Alexandra Stevenson (@alexandrastevenson)

Who is Alexandra Stevenson?

Born on December 15, 1980 in La Jolla (California, USA), Stevenson took first place in the WTA ranking at No. 18 (October 28, 2002).

At Wimbledon in 1999, she became only the second player in the Open era to reach the semifinals after qualifying. She was then beaten by Lindsay Davenport, but it remains her best career Grand Slam finish (she also has the 1999 US Open mixed doubles semi-final).

She played two WTA finals in singles (lost both) and one in doubles (won with Serena Williams in Leipzig). He collected almost 1.5 million dollars from tennis.

Check out this Instagram post

A post shared by Alexandra Stevenson (@alexandrastevenson)

Simona Halep will be heard at the CAS on February 7-9, 2024

CAS has published a list of all the cases it has on its agenda in the coming weeks, and Simone’s name appears on the calendar for the Lausanne forum.

Thus, TAS will analyze the 4-year disqualification imposed by the independent sports tribunal in the doping case of Simona Halep in the period from February 7 to 9, 2024.

It will be recalled that Halep appealed to the CAS 4-year disqualification for doping on October 24 this year.

The Swiss court said at the time that the former WTA leader had asked to overturn the decision of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and “reduce” its sanctions.

>> PHOTOS of Simona Halep and a mysterious message released pending a hearing from TAS

>> Simona Halep is expected to return to the field: “I am convinced that TAS will shorten the period of disqualification”

What you need to know about Simona Halep’s doping case:

  • The news that Simona Halep was temporarily suspended for doping appeared on Friday, October 21, 2022.
  • Simona’s case was heard by Sport Resolutions, an independent tribunal in London that hears doping cases in white sport.
  • Halep was suspended for 4 years for two separate violations of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP): the presence and use of the substance roxadustat in a urine sample collected after an anti-doping test conducted at the 2022 US Open (1) and a violation of her biological passport (2).
  • Simone has only one appeal: the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
  • If the 4-year disqualification remains in force, then the ex-WTA leader can theoretically return to the tennis court on October 6, 2026. Halep will be 35 years old at that time.