Simona Halep is returning to tennis after quashing of four-year doping ban

• Simona Halep is returning to tennis after winning an appeal on her doping ban
• Halep successfully defended herself at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS)
• The former world No.1 was cleared by the Arbitration court on Tuesday

Simona Halep is returning to tennis after winning an appeal on her doping ban. Halep successfully defended herself at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The former world No.1 was cleared by the Arbitration court on Tuesday.

In its decision, it ruled that Halep, was not solely to blame for her positive drug test at the 2022 U.S. Open. It indicated that she deserves to return to the sport after missing out on the WTA Tour for over a year.

Simon Halep is Returning to Tennis: What It Feels Like

The two-time Grand Slam champion is happy and content that she was exonerated from any intentional wrongdoing as far as her doping ban is concerned. She is glad that she got justice which she couldn’t get with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) tribunal last year.

ITIA handed her a four-year doping ban citing that she failed to convince the tribunal that she unknowingly took Roxadustat which is a banned substance for athletes.

Simona Halep after appearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland to appeal her four-year tennis ban. Photo/Toronto Star

Three CAS judges determined that Halep’s positive test result for a prohibited blood-boosting drug was likely the result of a tainted supplement rather than an intended drug.

In a case that could have ended her career, she is short of words in describing the overturning of ITIA’s ruling in its entirety.

All she can think of is returning to tennis and making up for the time she lost when on trial. Her four-year doping ban was reduced to just nine months, and it ended in July of last year when it became retroactive according to the CAS judges.

Now, all her focus is on getting back to the tennis courts. “I cannot wait to return to the tour,” she said.

What Did Simona Halep Think of Her Appeal?

Simona Halep after appearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Switzerland to appeal her four-year tennis ban. Photo/China Daily

The US Open and French Open Grand Slam champion appealed her four-year doping ban in the last quarter of 2023. She appeared for three days before a three-judge bench at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland accompanied by her legal team.

She made her case between February 7 to February 9 and expressed hope that she would be absolved of any wrongdoing in her doping case.

“My confidence in the prevalence of the truth remains intact. I look forward to reclaiming my place on the tennis courts,” she told the press outside CAS headquarters on February 9.

A week before the CAS issued its verdict on the case, she took to her Instagram page to restate her hope for absolution. Halep described the past as a ‘nightmare’ because she had to fight claims of things she did not know about.

She wrote: “The nightmare that I have lived for a year and half has finished. I had the chance to present my defence in front of TAS, to show that I never did any kind of doping.

This is what I have said from the first day that I was accused. Now I am waiting for the decision with my head held high and I wanted to thank you, my fans, players, former players, legends of this sport, my sponsors and everyone else for your amazing support, all the messages and videos that you did for me during this harrowing time that I had.

I thank you for your unconditional trust. This support has meant the world to me and gave me strength to keep fighting each day to show the truth! I will share the news about my case with you all as soon as I receive it. I wish you all the very best. Good and truth always prevail.”

True to her prayers, she was vindicated on March 5 and she can return to tennis immediately.

Simona Halep. Photo/Simon Halep X

Why is Simona Halep Suing Canadian Company?

Halep is suing Quantan Nutrition, a Canadian business that produced a dietary supplement that resulted in a four-year doping ban.

The Romanian tennis star is pursuing a $10 million lawsuit against Quantum Nutrition, which does operates as Schinoussa Superfoods.

As per the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the multi-million dollar lawsuit stems from a positive test for roxadustat on Halep during the US Open 2022.

According to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list, roxadustat is prohibited. It is medically used to treat anaemia, it boosts the body’s production of haemoglobin and red blood cells.

For athletes, an increased production of haemoglobin and red blood cells means more oxygen in the blood and more energy which translates to enhanced athletic performance.