“It was horrible, it was scary” – “relieved” Mouratoglou opens up on Halep suspension for the first time at Indian Wells
Patrick Mouratoglou has shared what the days following Simona Halep’s doping ban were like
Zuma/Panoramic
Patrick Mouratoglou has opened up for the first time about what it was like when Simona Halep was suspended for doping in 2022, at Indian Wells, live on Tennis Channel.
The world-renowned tennis coach was Halep’s head coach when she tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the US Open in 2022. This led to a four-year ban, by the ITIA, which would have meant the 32-year-old Halep was unable to return to the WTA Tour until 2026.
This decision was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne (CAS) after they found that Halep’s positive test was the result of a contaminated supplement, based on evidence brought by Halep and her lawyers. It was instead reduced to a nine-month ban, allowing Halep to be back on tour at Miami next week.
“It was horrible, it was scary,” said Mouratoglou of the days after Halep’s ban was first instated. “She didn’t know if she could play again one day. She went through hell with what happened with the doping story” Mouratoglou explained to Tennis Channel.
Mouratoglou relieved that “the truth finally prevailed”
The Frenchman described what it was like when the positive test initially came back, to their surprise.
“It’s scary because you don’t know if you will be able to establish what really happened,” he said. “Actually when it started, you don’t even know what happened because you have no idea how you can have this product in your urine. And then you have to look and you have to prove where it came from, otherwise you get the maximum (punishment).”
“Of course I followed it day after day,” he declared. “I’m very very relieved for her that the truth finally prevailed. To have her back is fantastic also for women’s tennis.
“I can’t wait to see her play and I’m sure a lot of people are waiting for that moment too.”
Halep will make her return to the WTA Tour almost immediately, with the Romanian receiving a wild card to the WTA 1000 event in Miami next week.
