announcement reduces Simona Halep’s ban from tennis with case conclude

announcement reduces Simona Halep’s ban from tennis with case conclude

This decision allows the 32-year-old former world number one from Romania to make an immediate return to tennis. Following the ruling, Halep strongly criticised the “scandalous accusations” against her.

Although her appeal was partially successful, CAS concluded that it was “on the balance of probabilities” that Halep did not intentionally take roxadustat.

Halep, the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon champion, consistently asserted her innocence after being charged with two separate doping violations. She was accused of testing positive for roxadustat and faced another charge related to irregularities in her athlete biological passport (ABP).

Originally banned until October 2026, Halep feared her career would be finished if the initial ruling stood. “My faith in the process was tested by the scandalous accusations that were levelled against me, and by the seemingly unlimited resources that were aligned against me,” Halep stated.

“I cannot wait to return to the tour,” she added. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which led the investigation and is responsible for anti-doping measures in the sport, said it “respected” the CAS decision.

Read the full CAS report here.

Fact of the day
When British skaters Jayne Torvill andChristopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act”. He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

Having won just two games against the Romanian, it was tied as the most lopsided defeat of her career at the time.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Williams said of Halep’s display: “Personally I’ve never seen her play like this, ever.

“I’ve been practising really, really well and hitting the ball really solid. I don’t think I hit solid today, but again, she took balls early and she played really, really solid.”

Luckily for the American, the WTA final rules state that even if you lose a round robin match, you’re not out of the tournament, something she questioned even if it had given her a lifeline.