As Simona Halep battles a doping ban, her former coach, Darren Cahill, voiced his support for another WTA player previously banned for the same reason. British athlete Tara Moore was punished over a year ago but those allegations have now been cleared. The Aussie coach appealed to the WTA to restore her ranking.
Moore was slapped with a ban in May 2022 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Now declared innocent after a long battle, she shared a sentimental message on X (formerly Twitter). Among the many troubles she faced, she also mentioned losing her rankings. Moore was at a career-best World No.77 in doubles when hit with the penalty but is now unranked.
Cahill, currently coaching Jannik Sinner, addressed her post and pleaded to the WTA to reinstate her original rankings. He said it could take Moore around two years to get back to where she was before the ban. He said tennis players are forced to start from scratch after 12 months. Hence, he implored the WTA to restore Moore’s rank or at least provide her with a provisional/protected ranking.
This timeline is so bad. It’ll take Tara 18-24 months to recover her rankings if everything goes perfectly. Tennis is a unique sport where we are wiped out & back to zero after 12 months. The @WTA should reinstate her rankings or at very least provide provisional rankings https://t.co/wYpjmsQAq3
— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) December 24, 2023
Fans also shared their opinions on Moore’s message and Cahill’s appeal. They agreed with Cahill and also urged the Brit player to file a lawsuit.
Totally agree with this.
— Tennis Puneet (@TennisPuneet) December 24, 2023
Agree Darren…. as a minimum your ranking should be protected in such situations
— ️ Paul McNamee (@PaulFMcNamee) December 24, 2023
I agree. Look at the travesty with Simona Halep.
— Debbie Pozzobon (@DebbiePozzobon) December 24, 2023
She should be able to use her protected ranking like others
— Jordan Colon (@_theother_JC) December 24, 2023
Surely a lawsuit needs to happen!
— Matt K (@MatthewKiziltan) December 24, 2023
Time for a lawsuit and get paid
— R2DR2 (@pdxamateur10s) December 24, 2023
More fans echoed Cahill’s words and supported Moore.
Tara, im so sorry you had to go through this. I can’t imagine the pain for such a long time. You will be back, there is no doubt. Be strong
— Ysaline Bonaventure (@YsaBona) December 23, 2023
Surely the @WTA are at least giving Tara a PR and compensating financially for the time she has spent out. https://t.co/o6q3XIVuXU
— John Millman (@johnhmillman) December 24, 2023
A long long wait and the total mis-accusation I believed it always was must have left deep hurt. But still, as a fan, it’s great news and I so look forward to following you rise up the rankings again.
Go for it. There’s so many 100% behind you
— Martyn Edwards (@MartynEdwards20) December 23, 2023
Glad to hear that you were cleared of any wrongdoing.
Hope your career is back on track in 2024And something needs to be done to speed up the process.
Taking nearly 2yrs off a sportspersons short career is not good.— Patricia Cunningham (@PatriciaCu87966) December 23, 2023
Do they not give you any sort of protected ranking Tara?
If not, hopefully some decent wildcards come your way as you start your comeback in 2024!
Good luck. Stay strong
— Chris Goldsmith (@TheTennisTalker) December 23, 2023
Why and How Was WTA player Tara Moore Banned Wrongfully?
Tara Moore was suspended in May 2022 after testing positive for the anabolic steroid boldenone and nandrolone metabolites at Copa Colsanitas in Colombia. She had reached the doubles final at the WTA 250 event in April, losing the final. At the time of her punishment, she was the highest-ranked WTA doubles player from Britain.
Throughout her ordeal, Moore maintained her innocence, claiming she never intentionally consumed any steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. 19 months since her ban, an independent panel overturned the penalty and declared her not guilty.
The investigation report stated contaminated meat was the source of the banned drugs in her bloodstream and she bore no fault for unknowingly consuming it. Her name has been cleared and she has been deemed eligible to resume her career (via Sky Sports).
Moore, 31, put out a long statement on X, touching upon the mental and emotional distress and the loss of respect and reputation. Cahill’s former pupil Simona Halep, too, is undergoing something similar. Extending his support to Moore, he will hope the Romanian also comes out clean after her appeal.
