Simona Halep won her case after appealing to CAS in the context of the Roxadustat doping scandal, and the Romanian’s disqualification was reduced from 4 years to 9 months.

>> Simona Halep ready to return after TAS verdict – We talked about goals, Cahill, Muratoglu and Serena Williams

Simona Halep: “I am convinced that they did not do it on purpose, but simply a mistake”

Simona Halep is ready to return to the WTA after the Romanian received a major reduction in her TAS ban.

Moreover, the former world leader has already announced her presence at the tournament in Miami, where she received a wild card from the organizers.

Back in the country, Simona was invited to Antena 3 as part of the Sinteza Zilei show, and she talked about everything that happened from the moment she received the news of her suspension from tennis to the TAS decision.

In addition, Simona tried to explain how she ended up taking the contaminated supplement.

“In October 2022, when I got the letter, I assembled my legal team and said, let’s do everything, let’s ask for a camera to see the whole route. I thought someone had hurt me. I asked my team to see where the problem was coming from. The first thought was about pollution. I looked through the footage and found nothing. Lucky for me my lawyers said it could have been contamination from the supplements. And so it happened.

When I went to the academy, I had complete faith in the people I worked with. That’s what I always did. You can’t be suspicious of the people you work with. We agreed to change supplements because they were high in sugar. I changed my clothes and asked them if they were sure. I don’t even drink water from an open bottle. I was told that the supplement was tested, I did not check again and took it. There is no way to be tested like an athlete and go to the laboratory with all the supplements.

It was negligence on the team’s part because they didn’t check properly, and bad luck. There was no way this substance could be in this supplement. I’m sure they didn’t do it on purpose, it was just a mistake.” Simona said.

At the same time, Halep described the moment when she officially learned that she was suspended from tennis for 4 years.

“I was in Bucharest, I went to Constanta with my parents, I was in the living room and I was waiting with all my heart for the decision (not the one in September, the initial suspension, for 4 years). Everything went out completely, I got into a tunnel where I could no longer see the light.

I could not manifest, I felt myself inside. I had a moment where I thought it might be over, 4 years is too long. I felt like I would die with the truth because it was a system that didn’t want to see the truth. But I did not lose hope. I saw people’s messages and then I said I was going to win. My parents taught me that good will overcome evil in life.” Simona Halep said.

The triumph against Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final is the most beautiful moment in the life of Simona Halep

“When I won the Grand Slam, it was the best moment of my life.

It was tough because I was No. 1 without a Grand Slam.

I was not afraid that I would not win the Grand Slam. I came back very well after losing the final against Ostapenko. I’ll admit I cried for about 3 months but I came back really well, then I worked with Darren and told him I was going to win the next Roland Garros and that was it.

I did not feel the sacrifices I was making in this way. That I don’t go out into town or anything. I dedicated my life to tennis, I respected this sport. My family was always by my side.” said Simo.

>> Harsh conclusion in the case of Simona Halep: “Her victory in the appeal does not compensate for the lost time”

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).

• Halep was heard at the 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.

• 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).

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