Halep 4-year doping ban cut to 9 months after appeal in CAS

Former Wimbledon and French Open champion Simona Halep has seen her four-year doping ban reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), making her eligible to return to competition immediately. Initially banned for two separate anti-doping rule violations, the Lausanne-based CAS unanimously ruled to reduce her suspension to nine months, a period she has already served.

“The CAS Panel has unanimously determined that the four-year period of ineligibility imposed by the ITF (International Tennis Federation) Independent Tribunal is to be reduced to a period of ineligibility of nine (9) months starting on 7 October 2022, which period expired on 6 July 2023,” stated CAS in a release.

With the 32-year-old Romanian now eligible to compete, she may be considered for a wild card entry to this year’s French Open or Wimbledon. Halep had been suspended in October 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat, a banned substance that stimulates red blood cell production, during the U.S. Open that year. She also faced another doping charge last year related to irregularities in her athlete biological passport (ABP), a method designed to monitor blood parameters over time for potential doping signs.

BREAKING:

Simona Halep has been cleared for immediate return to professional tennis.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said it’s judges partially upheld her appeal & reduced it to 9 months.

More on this topic:

Simona Halep promises ‘truth will come out’ after doping ban appeal

Throughout this entire process, she’s remained brave & strong.

She had to fight… pic.twitter.com/bxvSPydbSc

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 5, 2024

Halep vehemently denied the charges and had expressed the possibility of retirement if the initial four-year ban was upheld. She attributed her positive test at the U.S. Open to contaminated supplements and accused the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of charging her with an ABP violation after the experts assessing her profile learned her identity.

In response to the CAS ruling, ITIA Chief Executive Officer Karen Moorhouse stated, “An essential element of the anti-doping process is a player’s ability to appeal, and the ITIA respects both their right to do so, and the outcome.”