Simona Halep files appeal against doping ban

The former World No. 1 has been handed a suspension until October 2026.

Romanian tennis player and former World No. 1, Simona Halep, plans to formally appeal the four-year suspension imposed on her by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for violating the anti-doping regulations of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

The ITIA announced in the second week of September that Halep, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, would be ineligible to participate in the WTA tour until October 2026. The Romanian tested positive for the prohibited performance-enhancing substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.

Roxadustat is an anti-anemia drug that enhances the production of red blood cells, thereby aiding athletes by increasing oxygen levels and, consequently, their overall endurance.

The ITIA also identified irregularities in her Athletic Blood Passport (ABP). The ABP program compares previously collected biological data to detect discrepancies in an athlete's blood that may suggest possible doping. This led the tribunal to conclude that the Romanian was involved in doping, as reflected in its decision.

Simona Halep's battle to have her suspension set aside at the Court of Arbitration for Sport will determine whether she will participate in competitive tennis again. If the ban remains in place, the Romanian will be 35 years old when the suspension concludes in 2026.

The four-year ban is a result of the two TADP breaches, meaning that Halep would require the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn both charges if she wishes to return to the tour before 2026.

Halep, a French Open winner in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, is the highest-profile tennis player to face trouble due to a failed drug test since Maria Sharapova in 2016. The former World No. 1 has 24 WTA singles titles to her name, including 10 WTA 1000 wins, and has earned €38 million ($40 million).

She was also the first Romanian to hold the World No. 1 position, which she maintained in 2017, 2018, and 2019, finishing 2017 and 2018 at the top of the WTA rankings.