Simona Halep Appeals Four-Year Doping Ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport

Halep, former world number one tennis player and two-time grand slam champion, is aiming to overturn the International Tennis Integrity Agency's decision in late 2023, citing contaminated nutritional supplements as the cause of her failed drug test.

• Simona Halep, a former top-ranked tennis player and two-time Grand Slam champion, has asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn the four-year ban she received for doping violations.
• Halep was banned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after a failed drug test during the 2022 US Open and irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport. She tested positive for Roxadustat, a drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells.
• Halep maintains her innocence and blames the failed drug test on contaminated nutritional supplements. Her legal defense is led by Howard Jacobs, who is renowned for representing high-profile athletes in anti-doping cases.
• The ITIA asserted that the amount of Roxadustat found in Halep's urine could not result merely from the contaminated supplement, concluding that there must have been another intentional source.
• The case continues to impact the tennis community, with Halep's suspension not set to end until early October 2026, when she will be 35 years old.

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