Former Women’s World No. 1 Simona Halep Criticizes ITIA’s Handling of Doping Cases
Former women’s world No. 1 Simona Halep has criticized the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for the “big difference in treatment” she received compared to the agency’s handling of Iga Świątek’s failed test. Halep was handed a four-year ban in September 2023 after testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open, while Świątek accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine.
Halep maintained that the anti-doping violations were not intentional and was cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in March this year, reducing her ban to nine months. However, she questioned the ITIA’s decision to hand her a longer ban compared to Świątek’s, stating that she “can’t find and I don’t think there can be a logical answer” for the difference in treatment.
The ITIA responded, stating that they deal with each case based on the facts and evidence, not a player’s name, ranking, or nationality. They noted that the two cases were different, with Świątek’s product being a regulated medication and not a supplement, and that the player admitted to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation.
Halep also criticized the length of time it took authorities to process her case and slammed “the scandalous accusations that were leveled against me.” She added that she lost two years of her career and experienced anxiety and sleepless nights due to the ordeal.
The ITIA has faced criticism in the past, including over its handling of Jannik Sinner’s doping case, where the men’s world No. 1 avoided suspension despite twice testing positive for a banned substance. The agency has urged players to exercise extreme caution when taking supplements and is always happy to answer any questions they have.