Former WTA world number one Simona Halep has shared her thoughts on the doping scandal involving ATP ranking leader, Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, in an interview with Spotmedia.ro.
On August 20, 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced in a press release that the 23-year-old Sinner had provided two positive doping samples. However, investigations revealed that the samples were contaminated with a spray used by Sinner's physiotherapist for treating cuts, and the particles accidentally made it into Sinner's system. Due to this finding, the world’s top male tennis player avoided suspension.
Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Romanian Halep is currently serving a suspension after a banned substance, roxadustat, was found in her sample, along with irregularities in her biological passport. On March 5, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced Halep's original four-year ban to nine months. She could potentially return to WTA tournaments during the 2024 season.
I believe all athletes should have the same judgment and be treated equally, regardless of whether they are number 1 or number 200. I don't think what happened is fair. It's a subject I would like to leave behind and continue with my life because life is beautiful.
Simona Halep
In an interview on August 29, Sinner expressed that during the investigation, he realized who his true friends were and mentioned that he sometimes lost the joy of playing on the court while waiting for the verdict.