Tennis player Simona Halep has lodged an appeal with the Cas Sports Arbitration Court. The former world number one is challenging the four-year ban imposed on her by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) for violations of the tennis anti-doping program.
As the Cas announced on Tuesday (October 24th, 2023), the 32-year-old Romanian has applied for the verdict to be overturned and is calling for a lighter sentence. It is not yet clear when the Cas will announce a decision in the case.
The two-time Grand Slam tournament winner gave a positive sample while taking part in the US Open in August 2022. The banned substance roxadustat, which was included in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2022 banned list, was found on her. A second charge related to irregularities in her athlete biological passport.
Intention or contamination?
On June 28th and 29th of this year there was a negotiation in London at which, among other things, scientific experts from both sides were heard, Itia announced on September 12th. The court ruled that Halep intentionally violated the anti-doping program.
Halep had always protested her innocence in both cases and explained the positive doping sample by saying that she had been a victim of contamination. The court accepted this argument, but at the same time found that the amount the player allegedly took could not have led to the roxadustat concentration found in the doping sample, Itia said.