SIMONA HALEP has received an additional anti-doping charge from drug busters.
The 2019 Wimbledon champion has been provisionally suspended from professional tennis since October 2022 following a positive drugs test.
In the biggest tennis doping controversy since the Maria Sharapova meldonium saga, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) discovered banned substance Roxadustat in a sample that Halep provided at last year’s US Open.
The ITIA has tonight announced that the Romanian has been charged with a further and separate breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
This is in relation to alleged irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport, which is used to monitor blood parameters over time and identify potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations.
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Nicole Sapstead, Senior Director for Anti-Doping at the ITIA, said: “We understand that today’s 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 Halep in an empathetic, efficient, and timely manner.
“We do, of course, appreciate there is a great deal of media interest in these cases. It would be inappropriate for us to comment on specifics until the conclusion of the process.
“But we will continue to engage with the Sport Resolutions independent tribunal and Ms. Halep’s representatives as expeditiously as possible.”
Halep professed her innocence last month, saying: “Knowingly, I have not taken any banned substance. I’m a big supporter of clean sports and have always been against doping.”
Speaking to a website that was co-founded by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Halep said she was unhappy to still be waiting for her doping case to be heard.
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In a statement, Simona Halep said: “Since October 7, when I got charged by the ITIA for a suspicion of doping, I have lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life.
“Not only has my name been soiled in the worst possible way, but I am facing a constant determination from the ITIA for a reason that I cannot understand, to prove my guilt, while I haven’t ever even thought of taking any illicit substance.
“I tried two times to have the opportunity to be judged by an independent tribunal and the ITIA has constantly found reasons to postpone.
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“Now that we have clearly established that I have been victim of a contamination, they came up with a so-called not normal evolution of my blood.
“Three world renowned experts that have studied my blood tests have been extremely clear that my blood is totally normal.
“I feel helpless facing such harassment and a motivation on their behalf to prove me guilty of something I never did.
“Once again, all my life I have been totally against any sort of cheating. It doesn’t align with my values.
“The only thing I hope for, at this point, is to have the possibility to finally access the independent and impartial judges in a tribunal, that will give me the chance to prove my innocence.
“I have full trust in justice and I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is scheduled at the end of May, after several delays by the ITIA.”
The 31-year-old is a two-time Grand Slam champion and former world No.1.
She claimed her maiden major at the 2018 French Open, triumphing over American Sloane Stephens in a dramatic three-sets final.
Halep then won Wimbledon the following year, demolishing Serena Williams 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.
