Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is praying for a much brighter 2023 after a “cloud-heavy” 2022.
Halep, a former world No 1, experienced probably the most difficult moment of her career during the 2022 season.
In October, the ITIA announced Halep tested positive for the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat.
As a result, Halep has been provisionally suspended and she is not currently in Australia with the rest of her WTA colleagues.
“2022 your clouds were heavy, 2023 show me the sun please,” Halep captioned her Instagram post.
Pogledajte ovu objavu na Instagramu.
Halep promised to clear her name
The Halep doping news came as a shock to many as the Romanian has always been considered as one of the best examples of how one professional athlete should act and behave.
In her statement, Halep described the doping news as “the biggest shock of my life.”
Also, Halep promised she would do everything in her power to clear her name and prove that she didn´t knowingly take the banned substance.
“I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life. Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed. I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that, sooner or later, the truth will come out. It´s not about the titles or money. It´s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years,” Halep said in her statement.
Last year, Halep revealed that she contemplated retirement during the 2021 season.
Also, retirement thoughts crossed Halep´s mind at the start of the 2022 season.
It remains to be seen when will Halep be allowed to return to action.
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