Halep won the French Open in 2018 before winning Wimbledon the following year
Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been charged with a second doping violation because of “irregularities in her biological athlete passport”.
The 31-year-old Romanian has been suspended since October after testing positive for a banned substance at the US Open.
Halep said on Instagram that she felt “helpless in the face of such harassment” and denied the allegations, suggesting she was a “victim of contagion”.
The athlete biological passport program collects and compares biological data to detect discrepancies over time that suggest possible doping.
Former world number one Halep’s suspension last year was imposed after she tested positive for roxadustat, an anti-anemia drug that stimulates the body’s production of red blood cells.
She criticized the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which is responsible for testing in the sport, for handling her case, claiming there had been unnecessary delays in the process.
“I had the worst nightmare I’ve ever had in my life,” she said.
“Not only has my name been tarnished in the worst possible way, but I am faced with a constant determination on the part of ITIA, for a reason I cannot understand, to prove my guilt while I never even considered accepting illegal substance. “
Halep added that she hopes to have the chance to prove her innocence at a hearing scheduled for late May.
The ITIA said it was continuing discussions with an independent tribunal team and representatives of Halep to resolve the matter as quickly and efficiently as possible, but did not say how long that would take.
Nicole Sapstead, ITIA’s senior director of anti-doping, said: “We understand that today’s announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation.
“From the very beginning of this process – like everyone else at ITIA – we have remained committed to engaging with Ms. Halep in an empathetic, effective and timely manner.”
In April, Halep spoke for the first time since her suspension, saying she was disappointed with the time it had taken to resolve the case, but the ITIA said “the process is ongoing”.
ITIA investigations into failed tests are often a complex process, even more so when a player denies taking a substance knowingly.
It is not unusual for these cases to take several months to resolve.
In such cases, the player can present evidence to refute or explain the failed test that Halep she claimed she did.
This will lead to further investigation and testing by ITIA, which will further prolong the process.
Halep, who was ranked ninth when the ban took effect, is one of the most high-profile tennis players to fail a drug test, and the most high-profile since Russian five-time major champion Maria Sharapova was banned in 2016.
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