Halep relieved to be “back in business” after “nervous” return to action in Miami

Simona Halep says she feels relieved to be “back in business” as she prepares for her second event on the WTA Tour since her four-year doping ban was reduced to nine months on appeal.

The former world No 1 admits she was nervous when she returned to action in Miami last month – her first event since the 2022 US Open – but will now play in the Oerias Ladies Open in Portugal, starting on Monday, before heading to Spain for the Madrid Open, where she also has a wildcard.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Halep reiterated that she had been through a tough time in the past 18 months. Having tested positive for Roxadustat (a drug used for anaemia which increases red blood cell efficiency) after the US Open in 2022, she was also accused of a second doping offence relating to adverse findings in her athlete biological passport and banned for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). But after a long wait for her appeal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that she’d ingested contaminated supplements and reduced the ban to nine months.

“It’s been a tough period,” said Halep, who lost in three sets to Paula Badosa in round one in Miami. “It was difficult to manage, but now it’s a different story. And I feel relief, I feel the freedom and yeah, I am back in business.”

HALEP: “I didn’t know what to expect”

Halep said she’d been anxious when she headed to Miami for her first tournament back, but after confiding in her mum, the warmth of her reception from pros and staff alike in Miami had wiped those worries away.

“I felt like I don’t know what to expect from people…how it’s going to be in the locker room again. Players’ dining (area). All this routine that I didn’t do for almost two years, it looked new for me.

“And when I arrived on-site, the love that I received from the people that are working for the tournament, the security, and all the people around, and also the players, helped me to just forget everything. And it felt like I never (was) away.”

Halep: “I want to see how good I can be, still”

At 32, with no ranking, Halep will have to rely on wildcards initially, to get into tournaments. Getting back somewhere near the top or adding to her two Grand Slam titles will be far from easy, but Halep says she wants to see how far back she can make it.

“It (Miami) was a great feeling, a great energy, and I was really happy deep down that I am, again, part of tennis and part of this sport that I love,” she said. “So for me, it was a great experience, much better than I expected. And this made me feel that, OK, now I want to go back and do my best and see how good I can be, still.

“What I went through is not easy. So I cannot forget (easily) just because I got cleared. There is baggage that probably will stay longer, and I cannot forget, like, one day (to the next) what happened. So I have to handle it better. I have to control my emotions coming back. So there is a (lot) that is not easy. But the joy, I hope, will help me.”

You might also like this

Halep “very excited” after getting wildcard into Oeiras Ladies Open

tennis majors

Halep, Wozniacki given wildcards for Madrid

tennis majors

“This day is going to stay very special for me” – Halep happy to be back, despite early loss in Miami

tennis majors