The big news in the tennis world this week is the return of Simona Halep. The Romanian WTA star was in the headlines for a doping ban but has now been given the green light for a comeback. The former World No.1 is a multiple-time Grand Slam champion, having won the Wimbledon and the French Open titles and would aim to make a grand comeback in the sport soon. Here is the timeline of her doping controversy and how Halep overcame it:
March 2022: Simona Halep’s blood samples were collected for examination as the Romanian was accused of doping as per the ITIA. The blood report came out positive and an investigation was launched regarding the doping accusations on Halep.
October 2022-December 2023: Simona Halep announced officially on social media that she was banned from professional tennis for testing positive for a banned drug. The Romanian tested positive for Roxadustat, a drug that is banned for professional players. Halep was then banned from playing professional tennis for 4 years and could only make a return to the WTA Tour or any form of professional tennis on or after 7 October 2026.
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February 2024 – Simona Halep appealed against her ban in court. The Romanian won the case on March 6, 2024 and her ban was reduced to 9 months. Since the ban is backdated, it means that Halep can return to professional tennis whenever she wishes to and fit enough to do so.
Simona Halep fired Patrick Mouratoglou after doping controversy
Now, with Simona Halep cleared of any allegations, she is expected to make a swift return to tennis. However, the former World No.1 has another challenge on her hands. It is about finding a new head coach after she sacked French veteran coach, Patrick Mouratoglou.
Mouratoglou came under fire from the tennis community when he revealed that the drug that Halep was tested positive for, was recommended by him. Halep has since fired Mouratoglou after her trust was broken by her coach. Halep felt that she was suffering because of her coach’s mistake.
Now, the feisty Romanian will be back on court sooner rather than later. So far in her career, Halep has won 24 titles including a couple of Grand Slams. The Romanian star has also earned $40,203,437 in prize money so far. Now, Halep will look to add more titles and win back the respect from the fans by delivering impressive performances. Despite losing almost two years, the 32-year-old will be confident of fighting at the top of women’s tennis again.
