Simona Halep begins appeal against four-year ban for positive test

The 32-year-old will be present in person for all three days of the appeal hearing

Zuma/Panoramic

February 7, 2024

Simona Halep‘s appeal against her four-year ban for two anti-doping violations began at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland on Wednesday.

The former world No 1 was present in person for the start of the hearing, which CAS confirmed will last until Friday, having taken her case to CAS after receiving a four-year ban from the International Tennis Integrity Association.

Halep, now 32, was banned for “two intentional breaches” of anti-doping rules. The Romanian, a former Wimbledon and French Open champion, tested positive for the prohibited substance, Roxadustat, at the US Open in 2022 and was later found to have irregularities in her athlete biological passport, based on 51 samples.

In the original hearing, Halep claimed that she took a contaminated supplement. The independent tribunal accepted that argument but said that the volume of the drug in her system could not have led to the concentration of Roxadustat that the tests found.

In a statement on its website, CAS said that Halep, who is due to attend all three days of the appeal, would not be making any statement to the media after the hearing and that is not clear when the final decision will be made.

Simona Halep defeated Serena Williams (USA) 6/2, 6/2 — Simona Halep in happier times, after her victory over Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final in 2019 – Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

Halep, who has not played since the US Open in 2022, said in December that her career could be over if she fails to have the ban reduced.

Roxadustat is a drug used for anaemia but it is banned by the World Anti‑Doping Agency (WADA) because it is considered to increase haemoglobin and the production of red blood cells.