May 19, (THEWILL) – Simona Halep, the former world number one tennis player, has been hit with another anti-doping violation, according to a statement released by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The fresh charge is linked to irregularities found in her athlete biological passport, adding to her existing suspension. In an announcement on the ITIA website, it was stated, “The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirms that Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has been charged with a further and separate breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), relating to irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).”
The statement further noted that Halep had been provisionally suspended since October 2022, following a positive test for the banned substance Roxadustat during the US Open in August of the same year.
The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), a component of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) developed programme, allows anti-doping organisations to monitor various blood parameters over time to identify potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). The ITIA stated that the additional charge of an Adverse Passport Finding was based on an evaluation of Halep’s ABP profile by an independent ABP Expert Panel.
This new charge is separate from the previous Roxadustat charge and has contributed to Halep’s ongoing provisional suspension.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
