Simona Halep’s doping ban has literally shocked the sport world, by the news of the positivity to a doping test of the Slam champion and one of the greatest tennis players of recent years. This was announced by the tennis player herself, who, before her accusations, made the following statements: “Today begins the hardest game of my life: the battle for truth.
I have been informed that I have tested positive for taking a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low amount. It’s the biggest shock of my life. Throughout my career, the idea of cheating has never crossed my mind even once, because it totally goes against all the values I was brought up through.
Faced with such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed. I will fight to the end to prove that I have never knowingly taken any prohibited substance and I have the hope that sooner or later the truth will come out.
It’s not about stocks or money. It’s about the honor and love story I’ve built with the game of tennis over the past 25 years.”
Simona Halep, sensational hypotheses about the affair arise
The Romanian tennis player received a temporary suspension but on the whole not everyone believes her guilt.
Simona Halep’s former medical consultant, Dr. Dana Safta, defended the former world number one and explained her point of view. Safta pointed out that Simona tested negative for doping tests on August 26 in Toronto and August 3 in Toronto while she tested positive on August 29, albeit in slight traces, for the banned substance Roxadustat.
Dr. Safta said Simona’s positive sample was contaminated in the lab, her supplements were tampered with, or even worse, banned substances were smuggled into her food. It must be said that all these hypotheses are all to be proved.
Journalist Kenny Ducey spoke recently on the Inside podcast commenting on what happened with the Halep story: “We are all shocked. I think it would have been even worse if Halep had won a few Grand Slams this season, let’s talk about a tennis player who won Wimbledon three years ago. In any case I think it’s her fault and that all this really sucks.”
