Former world No. 1 female tennis player Simona Halep was banned for 4 years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because she tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat.

Simona Halep is 31 years old, once ranked No. 1 in the women’s tennis world and won 2 Grand Slams. The Romanian tennis player was tested positive for the banned anti-anemia drug Roxadustat after the 2022 US Open, a tournament in which she was eliminated in the first round.

Roxadustat is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list due to its ability to increase hemoglobin and red blood cell count – which would benefit athletes in cardio-based sports. Halep was ordered provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) last October.

After further investigation, ITIA discovered additional abnormalities in Halep’s biological passport. In May, the Romanian tennis player said tainted supplements were the cause of the positive test result. ITIA accepted Halep’s explanation, but they still banned her from competing for 4 years according to WADA regulations.

Halep has been suspended since October 7, 2022. Therefore, her punishment will last until October 6, 2026, when this tennis player turns 35 years old. On her personal page, Halep announced that she would appeal and take the case to the Court of Sports Arbitration in Switzerland. This is something that fans have predicted in advance, because if Halep accepts the penalty, she will have to retire early.

The Wimbledon champion said: “I refuse to accept the four-year ban. My representatives and I presented to the ITIA and the court compelling evidence in support of my defense, including many legitimate questions regarding the conclusions reached surrounding the Household examination. My Athlete Biology Screening (ABP)”.

“I believe in a clean sport and in nearly two decades as a professional tennis player, spanning hundreds of tournaments and two Grand Slam titles, I have had 200 blood and urine tests done to check Tested for banned substances – all were negative until the 2022 US Open, when I treated the disease and changed my diet.”

Before Halep, another former world No. 1 tennis player, Maria Sharapova, was banned for 2 years because she tested positive for doping. Afterwards, Maria Sharapova’s sentence was reduced to 15 months and she continued to compete after completion.