Simona Halep gave an interview to Tennis Majors, in which she talked about the temporary disqualification for doping and expressed dissatisfaction with the delay in her case.

Simona Halep announced when her case will be heard

Halep said she has a hearing scheduled for May 28, but the ITF, which has already rejected her testimony and request to have her suspension lifted, may seek to cancel the hearing. “If he does that, in eight months I won’t be able to play because of a temporary suspension, and it seems unfair to me to go eight months without playing and without the slightest chance to declare myself in front of independent judges,” the athlete added.

She emphasized that she had never knowingly used any banned product and that this time it was a contamination of a food supplement. “I didn’t even know what roxadustat was. I have never heard of it. I had to look it up on the internet to find out.”

Simona Halep noted that since October, she has passed ten urine and blood tests, all with negative results, according to News.ro.

Tennis Majors clarifies that the information reported by Halep has been verified and that the athlete’s lawyers have confirmed that the athlete’s statements correspond to the reality of the current process.

SIMONA, THE FIRST QUESTION WE WANT TO ASK YOU IS: HOW ARE YOU?

“I don’t even know how I am because the last few months have been emotionally difficult. The stress level remains huge because I would never have thought that I could be involved in a story like this. I am categorically against doping and defend the values ​​of pure sport. As a result, I had a hard time dealing with the situation at first. Afterwards, I tried to stay calm and the truth is, I feel good inside because I know I’m clean and I’ve never knowingly used illegal substances. It helps me get better, but it’s a tough time for me.”

WHY DO YOU AGREE TO TALK TODAY? YOU DIDN’T TALK OUT OF THE Void ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER THE TEST RESULTS ANNOUNCED. WHERE DOES THIS DESIRE TO SPEAK COME FROM?

Indeed, I have taken a “vow of silence” until the matter is resolved. I could not imagine myself opening the subject under such difficult circumstances. And I repeat, emotionally it was difficult to handle. But today, I feel that my fans, and perhaps the general public, need to understand why things are taking so long. The case is taking a very long time to resolve and I am speaking today to explain what is happening.

LET’S START FROM THE BEGINNING. DID YOU USE ROXADUSTAT IN AUGUST 2022?

I have never knowingly used prohibited products. Doping is not part of my world, my values ​​are healthy sports.

HOW DID YOU REACT WHEN YOU TESTED POSITIVE FOR THIS PRODUCT?

It was a shock, a surprise, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even know what roxadustat was. I have never heard of it. I had to search the internet to find out. I quickly realized that this was a prohibited product.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW THIS PRODUCT GET INTO YOUR BODY?

I have always carefully checked that everything in the dietary supplements I take is approved. So I had no idea why a banned product was found in my urine. We asked experts to find an explanation and find out the origin of the respective tracks. I repeat. I had never heard of this famous product and did not understand how it could be detected in urine. After much work, they determined that these traces were the result of contamination, contamination from one of my dietary supplements, which explained the very small amount found in my body. Contamination is when someone eats an approved food, but the manufacturing company makes a mistake, leaving traces of a product that has nothing to do with that food. Experts worked hard to determine the cause of the contamination and finally found the cause.

WHO ARE THESE EXPERTS AND WHAT EXACTLY DID THEY DISCOVER?

I cannot yet reveal their identities or what is in the file. I can only say that each of them independently established that the dietary supplement was contaminated with roxadustat.

COULD THE ITF MAKE THE SAME OBSERVATION?

I sent my evidence to the ITF but they rejected it. I told them in December when our work was done. After this refusal, the only way to protect my rights was to request that I be heard by an independent court to give my evidence. I relied heavily on this hearing as the ITF’s rejection of my evidence in December had ramifications for my calendar. Originally, the audition was scheduled for February 28th, after which I thought I would have the opportunity to play in Indian Wells. The ITF asked for that hearing to be postponed to allow time for further testing. I had high hopes but had to wait until March 24th. But then the ITF asked to cancel the March 24 hearing. I did not make that decision because the rules state that any suspended athlete has the right to an expedited hearing. It started to take a lot of time. So I asked the ITF to lift my suspension, but they also refused.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER TESTS AND IF SO, WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?

In October, I was told that the August urine test was positive. I have had ten urine and blood tests since October, all negative.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STAGE OF THE PROCEDURE?

A hearing is scheduled for May 28, but that is unknown as the ITF has already indicated it may seek its cancellation. If he does, in eight months I won’t be able to play because of a temporary ban, and it seems unfair to me to go eight months without playing and not have any chance to speak to independent referees. It’s very difficult emotionally and I felt the need to communicate what I feel to my fans and the general public. I feel this need for information and need to understand why it is taking so long. It is too hard and today I feel that it is good to bring my message to people. I am not asking for special treatment. I just want to be judged: how long do I have to wait?

HOW DID YOU REACT WHEN YOU NOTICED THAT, UNLIKE THE NORMAL HAPPEN AFTER A POSITIVE TEST, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO SAID IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED FROM CHEATING?

I felt this support, I saw people saying that I couldn’t have knowingly taken a banned product. It makes me want to go back, get back to my previous level, and why not get even better. This is what I work on every day. I want to go back and I want to go back to the highest level. The people you mention really understood who I am and yes, it gives me the strength to fight for the truth and rebuild my career. This is truly the biggest challenge in my life and career. In this ordeal, I could count on the support of Patrick (Muratoglou), my coach (no, the co-founder of Tennis Majors), who I texted first to make sure I understood the letter they sent me when I was notified of the positive test. Since then, I could count on his help every step of the way. And it was because he was next to me that I was able to discover the truth.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR FUTURE IN TENNIS IF YOU COULD COME BACK?

I want to play again, I love this sport and I want to play for big trophies again. Tennis is the work of a lifetime. I continued to play and train during the suspension with the sincere hope that this case of mine would be resolved in my favor. With all these procrastinations, it wasn’t always possible or easy to stay focused, but I tried to keep my work serious at every stage. Tennis is my life. I still want to play, feel as strong as before, if not stronger. I know it will be very difficult after eight months without an official match and eight months of stress. But I believe that with a lot of work I will be competitive again.

HAVING DAYS WHEN YOU TRY NOT TO THINK TOO MUCH?

At this age (31 years), every lost day, week and month is irreversible. You are afraid of injuries. You are more likely to get injured after a long period without playing. And yes, the more time passes, the harder it is to become competitive again.