Simona Halep says ‘the stress is huge’ as she battles to return to tennis following positive drug test

Romania’s Simona Halep plays a forehand against Ukrainian Daria Snigur at last year’s US Open.

Danielle Parhizkaran/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

CNN
 — 

Simona Halep says she has been under huge stress as the two-time grand slam winner bids to clear her name and return to tennis following a positive drug test.

Halep tested positive for Roxadustat, a banned substance listed on the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list, at last year’s US Open and has been provisionally suspended since October.

She has denied that she knowingly took a banned substance, instead arguing that a supplement she took had been contaminated.

According to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Roxadustat is a class of drug called HIF-stabilizing agents, which can increase the delivery of oxygen to muscles and boost endurance.

“The situation has been really hard. Emotionally, it’s heavy. The stress is huge because I never thought I would face something like this,” Halep said in an interview with Tennis Majors released on Thursday.

“I have always been against doping as I am a big supporter of clean sports. At the beginning, I didn’t know how to handle it. Over time, I just tried to stay calm and actually, I feel confident because I know I’m clean and I didn’t take anything knowingly that is banned.”

Halep’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, is one of the co-founders and shareholders of Tennis Majors.

Halep defeated Serena Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

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‘Everything takes so long’

The 31-year-old added that she has sent evidence of taking what she believes to be a contaminated supplement to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and has requested a hearing about her case, but said the ITF rejected her evidence.

She also said she has taken 10 negative urine tests since being notified of her positive result.

According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), a player disputing a doping charge can request a hearing before a three-person independent tribunal.

In a statement on Twitter on Friday, the ITF said it “has had no involvement in the management of this case, as the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme is managed and enforced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on behalf of the ATP, WTA, ITF and Grand Slams.”

CNN has contacted the ITIA for comment but did not immediately receive a response. The organization told Tennis Majors that Halep’s case is ongoing and “being run in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.”