Simona Halep criticizes ITIA’s four-year ban for doping in TAS. The hearing in Lausanne began on Wednesday and will continue until Friday, and the former WTA leader is hoping for a lighter sentence. Thursday’s highlights – LiveBlog on HotNews.ro.

Simona Halep at the TAS headquarters in LausannePhoto: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP / Profimedia

>> Simona Halep, listened to on TAS – The most important details from the first day

Simona Halep, listening on TAS – The most important moments of Thursday, February 8

08:50As reported by Antena 3, Simona Halep had dinner with Patrick Muratoglu. The Romanian’s former coach and physiotherapist, Candice Goyer, will testify on Thursday. They will provide information regarding the administration of a collagen supplement contaminated with Roxadustat, writes Euronews.

08:42Simona Halep spent about 9 hours on Wednesday at the Beaulieu Palace, the headquarters of TAS: “I can’t speak. We’ll talk at the end.” At the exit, lawyer Bohdan Stoyka reacted briefly.

“Of course, there are chances. We have always been optimists… This is normal, nothing unusual (for hearings to last so long – no)” – Bohdan Stoyka, Simona Halep’s lawyerquoted by Sport.ro.

08:40Image of Simona Halep from the first day of the TAS hearings. When she arrived at the Beaulieu Palace, the two-time Grand Slam winner sent a short message: “Sorry, I’ll talk to you later. Thank you”.

It is known that the ex-leader of the WTA is not allowed to talk to the press, and most likely the conversation with journalists will take place on Friday, after 16:30 (when the hearings in Lausanne should end).

>> Boris Becker on Simona Halep’s hearing at TAS: “I am sure that Ion Cyriak will help her”

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.
  • According to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on its official website, Halep will be heard by CAS on February 7-9, 2024.
  • The Swiss court said that the ex-leader of the WTA asked to cancel the decision of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and “reduce” its sanctions.
  • 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.
  • On August 29, 2022, Simona Halep played her last official match on the world circuit. At the US Open, in the inaugural round, our athlete unexpectedly defeated Daria Snigur (at that time, 124th place in the WTA, based on the qualification).