Final Thursday, the ITIA introduced that the five-time Grand Slam champion examined optimistic for trimetazidine (TMZ) and was given a provisional suspension on September twelfth. Nevertheless, the Pole acted rapidly – rapidly found that non-prescription melatonin drugs have been the supply of contamination – efficiently appealed – and her provisional ban ended after simply 22 days. And when Swiatek was handed a one-month ban, she solely had eight extra days to serve of suspension.
In August, it was revealed that Sinner failed two doping assessments in March however he was cleared of any wrongdoing and averted getting banned.
In the meantime, Halep was suspended for 18 months after testing optimistic for Roxadustat in 2022 October. Simply as within the Swiatek and Sinner circumstances, it was finally accepted that the Romanian was a sufferer of contamination and that she did not deliberately or knowingly take a banned substance. However it took the previous world No. 1 for much longer to clear her title.
In the identical put up, the 33-year-old highlighted that “I feel disappointed, I feel mad, I feel frustrated,”
Halep: My case was immediately introduced, theirs wasn’t till the tip…
After making it clear on social media that she wasn’t comfortable in any respect with how the ITIA handled her doping state of affairs in comparison with Swiatek and Sinner’s circumstances, the two-time Grand Slam champion now admits she has been so “upset” during the last week that it’s once more negatively impacting her sleep and psychological well being.
“Huge ache, huge ache. I felt like they [the ITIA] have been unfair to me earlier than, however now it’s much more. I used to be so, so upset and so unhappy after I noticed the state of affairs. It’s simply unacceptable, from my standpoint. Yeah, I misplaced my sleep once more. I misplaced it for the 2 years throughout the course of [of contesting her own doping ban]. Then I received it again. And now, after [what happened], for a number of days, yeah, I misplaced it once more. All of the unfavorable pondering, unfavorable ideas, it’s not simple to deal with,” Halep told The Telegraph.
Simona Halep© Simona Halep/X – Fair Use
For the Romanian, one of the things that she finds the most hurtful is the fact that the ITIA didn’t even announce that Swiatek and Sinner failed a doping test until the investigation was concluded.
“What I believe is not fair, either, is that they announced my case straight away, and I got all the heat from the press, and for these two players they kept it secret, and they just said about the case when everything was done, so it’s very weird. And I asked also to lift the provisional suspension to be able to play. I said, ‘If you believe in the end that I am guilty, you take the points back and all the money and everything, but let me play,’ because I wanted to keep the rhythm. I asked this about two or three times, but now they (Jannik and Iga) could play,” Halep added.
Halep highlights the distinction between hers and the Swiatek state of affairs
After being provisionally suspended on September 22, the Pole was banned for 22 days earlier than returning to motion on the WTA Finals and the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. When she accepted a one-month ban on November twenty seventh, there have been solely eight extra days left to serve.
Whereas Halep did not point out Swiatek by the title, she was clearly desirous about her case when arguing why she felt the ITIA wasn’t truthful to her in any respect.
“The lady participant – I don’t wish to give title, about who I’m speaking about – she had the three-week suspension, then she performed two occasions, after which she will get once more suspension. What is that this? I imply, I don’t perceive. So I really feel it’s not truthful,” the 2019 Wimbledon champion famous.
In the meantime, Halep returned to motion in March however performed solely two tournaments earlier than a knee harm sidelined her for 5 months. In October, the previous world No. 1 returned and performed two extra occasions earlier than concluding her 2024 season.
In her comeback 12 months, Halep went 1-4 and is at present ranked at No. 876 on this planet.
