The last few months have been extremely difficult for Simona Halep. The Romanian was charged with doping in October 2022 and since then made no progress with her case. Her team was shocked and so was she at the arrival of the news. The two-time major champion received a mixed bag of responses from her colleagues and the rest of the tennis fraternity.

In light of her doping case, a fellow Romanian has given his verdict on Halep recently. Known for his criticism of Serena Williams’ age and height during her playing days, former Romanian player Ion Tiriac was furious with the ongoing scandal.

Former Romanian player makes a strong statement for Simona Halep

Tiriac dropped some highly nationalistic remarks and asked Halep to step up for herself. He was critical of the ITIA (The International Tennis Integrity Agency) and believed that the agency is not living up to its name.

Tiriac said via AS Romania, “They ended Simone’s career, and someone has to answer here. How much can Simona ask for? 100 million, 200? Who is the culprit? Someone, however, is guilty, but it is sad what is happening to Simona.”

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Tiriac further added, “I don’t compare it to the fact that we are Romanians. When someone slaps you, if you don’t slap them back – my father taught me 80 years ago – it means you’re a servant and only on your knees.” He wants Halep to speak against the ITIA and does not want any Romanian to back down and accept defeat.

The former tennis player believes that Halep’s career is over. However, there is always a ray of hope. A hope for a comeback. Maria Sharapova returned to tennis after facing a 15-month ban for doping. In fact, after her comeback to tennis, Sharapova and Halep locked horns in a memorable encounter at the US Open.

What happened when Halep and Sharapova met at the US Open?

Sharapova was unseeded at the US Open 2017 and she drew the then world number 2 Simona Halep in the second round. As expected, the WTA stars received a packed Arthur Ashe stadium for the night session. The Russian rolled back the time and registered a monumental three-set victory over the overwhelming favorite Simona Halep.

READ MORE: Amid Simona Halep’s Doping Saga, Novak Djokovic’s Rebel Association Points Out Vital Stat That Shows Tennis’ Absurd State on Drug Testing

Coming into the fixture, Sharapova had a 6-0 head-to-head record against the Romanian. She could not maintain a 100% record against her as Halep managed to register victories in the last two matches of their rather lopsided rivalry.

Will Halep emulate Sharapova by making a comeback following her ban? Will she win her case against the ITIA? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

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