Simona Halep was temporarily suspended as a result of a positive detection of a prohibited substance: roxadustat. The announcement by the International Tennis Integrity Agency has spread around the world, and the reaction did not take long.

Reaction from the sports world after Simona Halep tested positive for roxadustat

Eduard Novak, Minister of Sports, on Facebook: “Simone Halep is a milestone in Romanian and world tennis, she has inspired new generations of young people to turn to tennis, and the impact that such world-class athletes have on the sport is great. The Ministry of Sports supports, through its policies and values, favorable sports based on the spirit of fair play and justice. Simona and I hope that this situation will be clarified as soon as possible.”

Ilye Nestas, for PlaySport: “I can’t tell you anything because I don’t know the details. Only Simona can answer! On the other hand, if Simona Halep was an American, nothing was published. Nothing at all. I know from sources close to world tennis the cases of two athletes, about whom nothing was ever written on this topic, although they would have been in similar situations. If their names appeared in the press, the tennis sponsor or sponsors would go home the next day!”

Alice Cornet, who is ranked 31st in the WTA, on Instagram: “I’m with you all the way, Simona. It’s not fair, but you’re going to win this fight.”

Mihaela Buzernescu, for PlaySport: “It was also a big surprise for me. I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding. I don’t think Simona would do something like that. He would have no reason to resort to such a method.”

Adrian Marku, Simona Halep’s former coach, to DigiSport: “I know Simona quite well, I’ve worked with her a lot and I know she’s an athlete who is always very careful when it comes to medication. I can’t believe he would do something like that, especially to improve the physical part where it was already “concrete”. She was not a player who necessarily needed improvement. I am very surprised that this could happen. Now let’s try our best to see where this substance could have come from. I think Simone did hundreds of anti-doping tests. I think it’s too hard to be wrong, but I know Simone also has a bit of a thyroid problem and I don’t think this stuff would do her any good. But I’m not a doctor. I don’t think it’s very easy, but he has to do his best. I spoke to her. I said to her, is there anything I can do to help her… I firmly believe that it didn’t happen, and I really want her to be able to prove that it didn’t happen.”

Andrii Pavlo, for AS.ro: “I looked at her performance, it is shocking, everything is very shocking, I looked at what she wrote, I was also looking for that substance that I have never heard of. It produces red blood cells, I don’t know what to say. I never thought she would test positive, that she would take substances. I worked with her, I know her. He is going through a very difficult time and it is not a positive thing. I hope she is strong enough to get through this. I never thought she was an athlete or a person who would use such things, and I wish it wouldn’t be a black mark on her career. I hope she comes out of this and the divorce with her head held high. It is difficult to comment on all this.”

George Kozak, interim president of the FRF, for Agerpres: “I don’t think Simone could have done something like that, especially since she had a brilliant career based on work. In the period when Simona began her rise and defeated all the stars of world tennis, she was checked about 20 times a year. So it is unlikely that anyone would think that she could use doping at her level. She was always an athlete who played fair and won. I exclude the option of doping.”

Ioan Ovidiu Sabau, in Prima Sport: “For me, he remains an exemplary athlete for everything he managed to achieve. We are talking about the last period in which he did not win many tournaments, but in the period in which he won, he did it with value, hard work and sacrifice. I will not change my opinion about what this has meant for Romanian sport and tennis, and internationally. There is no way he can overshadow what he did! She has to fight, win this match, in the meantime, I guess it will clear up. But the results that were obtained before this news… I consider her a super-super-athlete! I don’t think she made such a gesture on purpose, at her age and experience. Probably took something, but not on purpose. He won too much, image and so on. Does she not know that the last impression remains? I think there was a mistake somewhere! There are many who express their opinion. Some attack him, others are balanced and remain in position. Of course, let such a gesture not erase all the good he has done. I’m glad she’s winning trophies while being very well trained without using substances that help her. This is very important because they will stay.”

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• Ilye Nestase: “Maybe the doctor gave him something forbidden”

• Simona Halep’s ex-coach: “I would have made it public earlier to show that I had good intentions”

• Toni Yuruk’s reaction after Simona Halep was revealed to be positive