Former world No. 1 Simona Halep has slammed the tennis integrity body, the International Tennis Integrity Agency, over their handling of her ongoing doping allegations.
In a statement posted to social media on Saturday morning, Halep said she had “lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life” since being charged with doping.
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It comes amid additional charges being laid on Halep in recent days over “irregularities” in her athlete biological passport.
Already provisionally suspended since October 2022, Halep said her “name (has) been soiled in the worst possible way”.
Halep insists that the anti-anaemia drug detected in her system, roxadustat, entered her body via a contaminated supplement and that she has evidence to that effect, but that the ITIA have delayed the investigation.
“I tried two times to have the opportunity to be judged by an independent tribunal and the ITIA has constantly found reasons to postpone,” Halep said.
“Now that we have clearly established that I have been victim of a contamination, they came up with a so-called not normal evolution of my blood.
“Three world renowned experts that have studied my blood tests have been extremely clear that my blood is extremely normal.
“I feel helpless facing such harassment and a motivation on their behalf to prove me guilty of something I never did.
“Once again, all my life I have been totally against any sort of cheating. It doesn’t align with my values.
“The only thing I hope for, at this point, is to have the possibility to finally access the independent and impartial judges in a tribunal, that will give me the chance to prove my innocence.
“I have full trust in justice and I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is scheduled at the end 0f May, after several delays by the ITIA.”
On Friday, the ITIA said that the two-time Grand Slam winner has been further charged “relating to irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP)”.
It added that the “charge is separate and in addition to the existing roxadustat charge from August 2022 which triggered Ms. Halep’s original provisional suspension”.
The ABP program is a method by which anti-doping organisations monitor various blood parameters over time, to identify potential doping violations.
Nicole Sapstead, Senior Director for Anti-Doping at the ITIA, said: “We understand that today’s announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation.
“It would not be inappropriate for us to comment on specifics until the conclusion of the process, but we will continue to engage with the Sport Resolutions independent tribunal and Ms. Halep’s representatives as expeditiously as possible.”
Halep said after her positive test last October that she would “fight until the end” to clear her name, as she awaits a doping hearing scheduled for May 28.
“Knowingly, I have not taken any banned substance,” the Romanian star told tennismajors.com in an interview published last month.
“I am a big supporter of clean sports and have always been against doping. I had no clue at the beginning about where this substance came from.”
Halep had climbed back into the world’s top 10 before she was suspended having dropped out of the top 20 in 2020 following injury problems.
But the former French Open and Wimbledon champion has tumbled to her current mark of 30th.
Roxadustat is a drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells and is used in the treatment of patients with kidney problems.
– with AFP