Romanian Simona Halep, a former world number one, has requested a trial by an independent court after the International Tennis Integrity Agency accused her of a separate violation of the tennis anti-doping program on Friday. The player (31 years old), a former Wimbledon and French Open champion, has been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing positive for the blood-enhancing drug Roxadustat at last year's US Open.
Halep has asked the tennis anti-doping agency to allow her to clear her name and questioned the lengthy delay of her hearing after being denied the right to a hearing by an independent court. The Romanian player stated in a message on her Twitter account: "Not only has my name been tarnished in the worst possible way, but I am constantly facing obstruction from the International Tennis Integrity Agency for reasons I cannot understand in order to prove that I am guilty while I have never considered taking any prohibited substance."
She strongly denied knowingly taking the banned substance and said she has evidence that low amounts of the anti-anemia drug entered her body due to a contaminated approved dietary supplement. She added: "I have tried twice to have the opportunity to stand trial before an independent court, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency has consistently found reasons for delay." She continued, "The only thing I hope for at this stage is the possibility to finally stand before independent and neutral judges in court; this will give me the opportunity to prove my innocence."
