Former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, Simona Halep, has accused the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of double standards in connection with charges related to her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). The 31-year-old Romanian, who has won the French Open and Wimbledon singles titles, has been accused by the ITIA of a second doping offence due to alleged discrepancies in her ABP.
The ITIA announced the recent charge last Friday and according to the agency, this is separate from the provisional suspension that Halep received last year after failing a drug test during the US Open.
Halep claimed that while the ITIA publicly expressed a desire to engage with her promptly, they simultaneously requested the tribunal to postpone her hearing. “While the ITIA via their representative Nicole Sapstead was publicly stating 3 days ago that the ITIA has remained committed to engaging Mrs. Halep in an empathetic, efficient and timely manner, they were at the same time officially requesting the Tribunal to delay my hearing… for the third time,” said Halep in a statement posted on social media late Monday.
The ITIA had stated that the fresh charge was filed based on an assessment of Halep’s biological passport profile by a team of experts. The ABP provides a baseline reading of substances in a player’s body and is used to detect potential doping.
Since the accusation of a second doping offence, Halep has taken to social media, expressing that she has “lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life” since the initial charges by the ITIA. Halep also remarked that her “name has been soiled in the worst possible way” and accused the ITIA of being determined “to prove my guilt while I haven’t EVER even thought of taking any illicit substance.” She further mentioned that three world-renowned experts had examined her blood tests and concluded that “my blood is totally normal.” Halep asserted that she was a “victim of contamination.”
The 24-time career title winner emphasised her right to a swift hearing and criticised the delays as being contrary to standard procedure. “When is it going to stop? I ask the question once again. I am entitled to a quick hearing. Acting this way is contrary to my rights,” added Halep, who defeated Serena Williams in straight sets to claim the 2019 Wimbledon title.
Nicole Sapstead, the ITIA’s senior director for anti-doping, said in a statement last Friday, “We understand that today’s (Friday) announcement adds complexity to an already high-profile situation. From the outset of this process—and indeed any other at the ITIA—we have remained committed to engaging with Ms. Halep in an empathetic, efficient, and timely manner.”