Halep Slammed with Four-year Ban for Dope Infraction 

Two-time Grand Slam champion, Simona Halep, has been banned for four years following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

An independent tribunal determined the 31-year-old Romanian had committed “intentional” anti-doping violations.

Halep said in a statement she intends to appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations,” she said.

Halep tested positive for the use of roxadustat at last year’s US Open.

She was also found guilty of using an unspecified prohibited substance or method in 2022 after irregularities were found in her biological passport.

The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument she had taken a contaminated supplement, but decided that would not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found in her urine sample.

Roxadustat is an anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells in the body.

The panel also stated they had no reason to doubt the unanimous “strong opinion” reached by three independent experts that “likely doping” was the explanation for the irregularities in her biological passport.