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Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Friday.
"Simona Halep, a 31-year-old Romanian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended under Article 7.12.1 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP)," the body said in a statement.
The world No 9 tested positive for the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat in New York at the US Open and has been provisionally suspended.
Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, is the highest-profile tennis player to fail a drugs test since Maria Sharapova six years ago.
The Romanian suffered a shock loss to Daria Snigur in the first round of the US Open, which brought her season to an end last month following nasal surgery.
In a statement on her social media channels, Halep wrote: "Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth.
"I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life."
"Simona Halep, a 31-year-old Romanian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended under Article 7.12.1 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP)," the body said in a statement.
The world No 9 tested positive for the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat in New York at the US Open and has been provisionally suspended.
Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, is the highest-profile tennis player to fail a drugs test since Maria Sharapova six years ago.
The Romanian suffered a shock loss to Daria Snigur in the first round of the US Open, which brought her season to an end last month following nasal surgery.
In a statement on her social media channels, Halep wrote: "Today begins the hardest match of my life: a fight for the truth.
"I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life."
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We've already had the usual pleas of innocence. 
Has anyone ever held their hands up after being busted?
Has anyone ever held their hands up after being busted?
I don't think she'd start cheating at this stage of her career.
All part of the pre-prepared defence.
Athletes are responsible for what goes inside their bodies.
Pleas of ignorance don't wash.
No sympathy here.
As for her age, please.
Athletes are responsible for what goes inside their bodies.
Pleas of ignorance don't wash.
No sympathy here.
As for her age, please.
Her statement is very impassioned. Reminded me a bit of Jonathan Aitken's Sword of Truth speech.
I hope there's an explanation but yeah at the top level a Pro athlete has to carry the can.
I hope there's an explanation but yeah at the top level a Pro athlete has to carry the can.
Darren Cahill on the situation.
https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1584174525704380416/photo/1
https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1584174525704380416/photo/2
https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1584174525704380416/photo/3
https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1584174525704380416/photo/1
https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1584174525704380416/photo/2
https://twitter.com/ReemAbulleil/status/1584174525704380416/photo/3
he would defend her because any success he had with her taints him as well, he has a vested interest.
what's your gut instinct mes? did Patrick feed this to her?
If I were a betting man, I'd say however it ended up in her system, it wasn't with her intention, when you're paying certain people a percentage of your winnings and you go into a slam where there is the most prize money on the line, Roxadustat to help with endurance benefits the whole camp. Then again, she didn't look herself in Washington where she retired with an illness and apparently had a panic attack against Zheng, both instances were more likely side effects from the drug which has probably been fed to her for some time, side affects that include high blood pressure and headaches, you're not suppose to take it on consecutive days which might explain those two instances. Someone appears to have got carried away at a slam were more tests are carried out.
Easy to crush these pills and put them into any liquid, could be a nutritionists, Patrick, agent, who knows. Given what a task master Patrick is suppose to be, I wouldn't be surprised.
Easy to crush these pills and put them into any liquid, could be a nutritionists, Patrick, agent, who knows. Given what a task master Patrick is suppose to be, I wouldn't be surprised.
Exactly Mes. Cahill has a vested interest. Just as Sorana bless her (friends or not) has a vested interest in defending the integrity of top level Romanian sport.
None of that makes any difference. She's popular, people like her, it might be convenient to speculate on third parties being involved etc but the bottom line is it has to be pulled back to the hard facts.
The hard facts as reported in the Express
The International Tennis Integrity Association confirmed both A and B sample showed traces of the banned substance. Roxadustat increases the production of red blood cells through the endogenous production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO).
Any attempt to assume she can't be responsible because she's good old Simona etc isn't just a slap in the face but a punch in the face to athletes that are out there grinding every day totally clean.
I hope she gets a fair trial and I hope there's an explanation. But at the end of the day she's a top level professional in a highly lucrative sport. As Wesdaq says athletes are responsible for what goes in their bodies.
Andrew Castle don't you be going soft in your take in tomorrow's Metro either.
None of that makes any difference. She's popular, people like her, it might be convenient to speculate on third parties being involved etc but the bottom line is it has to be pulled back to the hard facts.
The hard facts as reported in the Express
The International Tennis Integrity Association confirmed both A and B sample showed traces of the banned substance. Roxadustat increases the production of red blood cells through the endogenous production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO).
Any attempt to assume she can't be responsible because she's good old Simona etc isn't just a slap in the face but a punch in the face to athletes that are out there grinding every day totally clean.
I hope she gets a fair trial and I hope there's an explanation. But at the end of the day she's a top level professional in a highly lucrative sport. As Wesdaq says athletes are responsible for what goes in their bodies.
Andrew Castle don't you be going soft in your take in tomorrow's Metro either.
How naive are some of these mugs?
Does anybody really know what's going on in someone else's mind or what they're capable of?
Do drug cheats go around wearing badges?
Some alleged drug cheats have been known to be massive anti-drug campaigners in order to cover their tracks & avoid suspicion.
Does anybody really know what's going on in someone else's mind or what they're capable of?
Do drug cheats go around wearing badges?
Some alleged drug cheats have been known to be massive anti-drug campaigners in order to cover their tracks & avoid suspicion.
I hope she gets a fair trial and I hope there's an explanation. But at the end of the day she's a top level professional in a highly lucrative sport. As Wesdaq says athletes are responsible for what goes in their bodies.
Depends on the situation really. Let's speculate on two possible scenarios. I'm not saying any of this happened, but it's just to illustrate my point.
a) Someone on her coaching team thinks her body is not what it used to be, so decides to do something about it. Gives her a pill of roxadustat, says "Hey, this is a sleeping pill. Will help you sleep better!" Then it's obviously 100% on Simona to look up what the pill is.
b) Her billionaire husband is furious about the marriage falling apart. Starts secretly hating her and wants revenge, plays it nice but secretly puts the drug in her food. Can she really be blamed if the drug got into her body this way? No imo. Mes's scenario falls under this category as well.
Depends on the situation really. Let's speculate on two possible scenarios. I'm not saying any of this happened, but it's just to illustrate my point.
a) Someone on her coaching team thinks her body is not what it used to be, so decides to do something about it. Gives her a pill of roxadustat, says "Hey, this is a sleeping pill. Will help you sleep better!" Then it's obviously 100% on Simona to look up what the pill is.
b) Her billionaire husband is furious about the marriage falling apart. Starts secretly hating her and wants revenge, plays it nice but secretly puts the drug in her food. Can she really be blamed if the drug got into her body this way? No imo. Mes's scenario falls under this category as well.
Like how Ben Johnson's drink was spiked back in Seoul 1988?
Well it wasn't. But sure, if it had been by someone on his team without Ben knowing, I don't see how he is at fault.
Strict liability means you can't rely on this cop out.
Athletes the world over seem to manage.
Athletes the world over seem to manage.
shes on it for sure she chases everything down ffs, she relies heavily on her defence to win
As there hasn't been a dramatic interjection taking responsibility from any of the cast of characters around her it will be interesting to see where the defence goes with this.
Iga is the latest to go down the irrelevant and inane 'Simona seems really nice so it can't be true' path.
From Eurosport
“For sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn't expect hearing this news,” Swiatek said on Saturday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
“Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair, and she was a great example for me.
"So hopefully... I don't know how it works in terms of the system that they're going to... Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever?
"Hopefully, it's going to be more clear for fans and for us. But, yeah, it's kind of like disappointing, and she must feel really bad.”
Iga is the latest to go down the irrelevant and inane 'Simona seems really nice so it can't be true' path.
From Eurosport
“For sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn't expect hearing this news,” Swiatek said on Saturday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth.
“Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair, and she was a great example for me.
"So hopefully... I don't know how it works in terms of the system that they're going to... Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever?
"Hopefully, it's going to be more clear for fans and for us. But, yeah, it's kind of like disappointing, and she must feel really bad.”
Iga had to say something about it as world number 1. the media expect you to speak. hard for someone so young to pass comment when the case is ongoing. Simona will get a 2 year ban for this I'd imagine, regardless of all the claims of innocence?
potentially some good news for Simona:
https://tennis-infinity.com/wta/simona-halep-given-fresh-hope-to-overturn-ban-after-new-finding-in-doping-case
https://tennis-infinity.com/wta/simona-halep-given-fresh-hope-to-overturn-ban-after-new-finding-in-doping-case
not so good news for Simona
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/simona-halep-abp-charge/
https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/simona-halep-abp-charge/
her mental health must have plummeted through the floor at the latest, players in this position should genuinely be put on suicide watch.
May 19, 2023 -- 9:58PM, mesmerised wrote:
her mental health must have plummeted through the floor at the latest, players in this position should genuinely be put on suicide watch.
I was thinking the same 
May 19, 2023 -- 9:58PM, mesmerised wrote:
her mental health must have plummeted through the floor at the latest, players in this position should genuinely be put on suicide watch.
looks like they're convinced she's been cheating and a few statements from Cahill, Barty etc aren't going to get her out of this
only started to cheat in 2022 Wes. caught by the athlete biological passport irregularities
Starts doping at 30, but has escaped getting caught for all these years??
She isn't a doper for me. A dope for taking supplements that were contaminated but not a doper.
She isn't a doper for me. A dope for taking supplements that were contaminated but not a doper.
I could never trust Mouratoglou. Pretty sure Serena was roided up for years. When the testers came knocking on her door, she hid in the panic room & got them removed from her property. Sabalenka, aka 'Drago', another leading suspect imho.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1aKUIHsiso&ab_channel=euronews
the more time goes on, the firmer in my mind the belief that this was PM and his team. PM wants success as a coach very badly and he will push the boundaries to achieve this. The only thing Simona is guilty of is trusting them..
Has had her ban reduced from the initial 4 years to 9 months by the CAS and is free to return to professional competition.
Justice has prevailed!
She should sue for loss of income for whatever months beyond the 9 months she wasn't able to play, but she's probably happy to just be back and might want to leave it all behind her.
She should sue for loss of income for whatever months beyond the 9 months she wasn't able to play, but she's probably happy to just be back and might want to leave it all behind her.
Sep 14, 2023 -- 2:01AM, swiftynifty wrote:
Starts doping at 30, but has escaped getting caught for all these years??She isn't a doper for me. A dope for taking supplements that were contaminated but not a doper.
Good assessment.
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