Eurosport tennis expert Mats Wilander thinks there is “no way” that Simona Halep would ever intentionally or knowingly take a prohibited substance. Last month, the ITIA announced that Halep was being provisionally suspended after testing positive for the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat.
Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion, released a statement in which she described the news as “the biggest shock” of her life. The tennis community was stunned at the Halep doping news since the Romanian was always considered as a perfect role model of how a player should behave on and off the court.
“My heart goes out to Simona Halep. I would never claim that I know her. But I have watched her play a lot of tennis matches over the years and I have interviewed her quite a few times. I would say of all the players I have come across, she is one of the ones that there is no way that she would intentionally do anything,” Wilander told Eurosport.
Wilander hopes Halep ‘clears her name’
Also in a statement released, Halep vowed to clear her name and prove that what she did wasn’t knowingly or purposely. Halep, who is 31, revealed this year that she had retirement thoughts during last year and at the start of this year.
But after hiring Patrick Mouratoglou, Halep rediscovered her spark for the game. With Halep being suspended now, some fear we may not see her again on the WTA Tour. “She said she is going to try to clear her name. You never know, it is possible these days that you inadvertently get something in you that you might not know about or whatever.
But again, I can’t imagine that there is an athlete out there in the professional tennis world that does not know what is okay to take or whatever. So I am thinking it is a clear mistake. Somewhere along the way, I can not imagine.
I think Simona Halep is a great athlete and a great human being, and my heart goes out to her. I hope she can clear her name because I want to see her out on a court because I am assuming that she is innocent, she has a great spirit about her,” Wilander added.
