In pure mathematical theory, Simona Halep is still an active tennis player. However, the facts are that today, September 12, 2023, she was officially dropped from the WTA rankings, which was certainly a serious blow to her. However, this situation is not surprising when we take into account that in October 2022, the Romanian was temporarily suspended.
All this was due to the use of illegal stimulant substances that were discovered in her body. Roxadustat was found in one of the samples. This drug is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In medicine, its primary use is to stimulate hemoglobin and red blood cells in cases of anemia.
In April 2023, in her first interview since her suspension, the former WTA world number one stressed that she felt completely vindicated and asked those responsible for her trial to speed up their procedures. It is difficult to say whether this happened, but the fact is that the Romanian woman finally learned about the final decision, and this is unlikely to give her reasons to be happy.
On September 12, 2023, it was officially announced that the two-time Grand Slam champion would be permanently suspended. The punishment he received was to stop playing tennis for four years. This means that when she was likely to return to the tour, she would already be 35 years old. Today, it is very difficult to imagine such a scenario in which Halep competes with, for example, Iga Cvetic.
Naturally, it must be taken into account that Romanian women have the right to appeal against this decision. However, it is difficult to assume that another long trial and appeal will achieve the expected results, as nothing has changed in this regard over the past year. In fact, such a decision would mean that we have just learned that Halep has ended her career.
The Romanian’s last match was a confrontation in the first round of the 2022 US Open with Ukrainian Daria Snegur. At the time, the former world number one lost in three sets. It will be a sad farewell to the professional courts if it turns out to be the end.
The 31-year-old Romanian’s career achievements so far could be impressive. The tennis player won two Grand Slam titles. First, in 2018, she was the best on the courts of Roland Garros in Paris, and a year later she also won Wimbledon. In addition, he has won 22 WTA titles, including nine grand slam titles.
She faced Iga Świątek four times. The balance is currently restricted. The last fight took place at the prestigious Indian Wells tournament in 2022. At that time, the third Polish woman in the world rankings was on top in two groups. Halep can be a big threat to your lips when it comes to playing on clay. Played on this surface in 18 finals of various tournaments.
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