After not playing for a year, former World Number one Simona Halep may be unsure about her return to the tennis court. The tennis player from Romania is currently suspended from the sport as a result of a doping punishment. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has already reached its final conclusion regarding the 31-year-old’s involvement in two doping incidents. With the tide of favor turned against her, Halep is in the dark. But there may yet be light at the end of the tunnel.

Even after much struggle and a final statement, Halep is still determined to fight for her rights. While the entire tennis community may be against her, Novak Djokovic‘s PTPA, who has been by her side the entire way, is once again supporting her fervently while she fights to overturn her career-wrecking verdict.

Novak Djokovic’s PTPA comes out in support of Simona Halep 

Last year during the US Open, for the first time, the two-time Grand Slam champion tested positive for the blood-boosting substance Roxadustat. In athletes, it stimulates hemoglobin and RBC production, thereby amping up endurance. While she was struggling to prove herself right with one doping allegation, in May she was also charged with the second anti-doping breach related to irregularities in her athlete’s biological passport.

But now Halep, who has been suspended since October 2022, will not be able to play tennis until October 2026, according to a recent statement released by the ITIA. The four-year suspension may very well be the death spell for the 31-year-old tennis Bulgarian player’s professional career.

Trending

‘Never Seen a Sport Self Sabotage Like This’- American Tennis Fans Disgruntled by Danielle Collins, Victoria Azarenka, and Others Not Finding a Streaming Slot

May 14, 2024 12:58 PM EDT

Andy Roddick Uses Aryna Sabalenka’s Rock Bottom Phase to Console Coco Gauff Amid On-Court Struggles

May 14, 2024 08:23 PM EDT

Italian Open: Aryna Sabalenka’s Crown Fails to Move Coco Gauff as She Comes Clean on Her Long Term Goals

May 14, 2024 05:27 AM EDT

Italian Open’s ‘Ridiculous’ Scheduling Infuriates Tennis Fans as Aryna Sabalenka Suffers From the Ludicrous Move

May 14, 2024 12:29 PM EDT

Roger Federer Adds a Rafael Nadal Twist to Vacation Spree With Wife Mirka and Kids as the Swiss Clan Touches Down in Spain

May 13, 2024 04:55 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

After hearing this news, Djokovic’s groundbreaking tennis association released its own statement on its Twitter account hailing support for the 31-year-old tennis player in her fight for her rights in the doping incident.

They criticized the final decision of the doping suspension as “both unfair and unacceptable” and also explained that this is happening because of “repeated and unexplained delays,” brought in by the ITIA. While the WTA has decided to proceed with the 4-year suspension decision made through the ITIA process, the PTPA is not ready to give up on the 2019 Wimbledon champion yet.

Nearly a Year After Divorcing Billionaire Husband, Suspended WTA Star Simona Halep Rubbishes Fabricated Dating Rumors With Her Trainer

Not only that, but ever since the initial allegations last year, the association has also stepped forward to provide any help that the Romanian tennis player might require throughout her fight to prove herself right. Even after hearing different voices around the tennis world, the 2018 French Open champion has vowed to continue her fight.

Halep is not ready to give up!

After hearing of this shocking 4-year suspension ruling, the two-time Grand Slam champion released a statement on her Twitter account. She explained her side of the story in detail, leaving out no part of the verdict delivered to her. She blamed the detection of Roxadustat on her nutritional supplements. Her trainer recommended those, but they supplements did not list the substance listed in their ingredients.

Along with that, she also revealed that she had appealed her ban to Switzerland’s Court of Arbitration for Sport. She will proceed with the demands of wanting a fair trial for her doping incident, where the perspectives of all the involved parties would be taken into account, fairly.

At the present moment, the biggest concern is whether Halep’s tennis career will come to an end as a result of this four-year suspension. If she is forced to serve out the time, then by the time those four years are up, she will be 35 and less likely to be competing on the professional circuit.

WATCH THIS STORY – Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer