Iga Swiatek’s recent doping scandal ignited a firestorm, prompting Simona Halep to publicly denounce perceived double standards within the WTA. Feeling overlooked and unsupported during her own doping ordeal, Halep took aim at WTA Players Council, including Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka, for their alleged silence. After remaining silent yesterday, Simona Halep has finally responded with a concise eight-word statement.

A few hours ago, Simona Halep shared a cryptic post on her Instagram Story. The simple yet powerful story contained a message engraved on a black background, saying, “Weak people are vindictive. Strong people are forgiving(Translated from Romanian).” While Halep did not clarify the context, fans believe the message was directed at certain members of the WTA Players Council.

The controversy erupted when a Romanian tennis fan account, wta_romania, claimed, “So apparently Simona tried to get help from the WTA player’s council about getting her ranking back and they denied her. Easy to see why when you see who the player’s council is.” The post alleged that council members, including Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Garcia, Donna Vekić, Madison Keys, Daria Saville, Gabriela Dabrowski, and Aleksandra Krunic, did not extend their support. Halep shared this post to her Instagram Story, seemingly agreeing with the claims.

The issue originated from Halep’s suspension in October 2022 after testing positive for Roxadustat. Ranked No. 9 in the world at the time, she was later cleared of intentional doping after proving the substance came from a contaminated supplement. Later, her suspension was reduced to nine months, a major change that allowed her to return in March 2024. However, the WTA did not restore her previous ranking despite her efforts to prove her innocence.

Simona Halep reflects on the evolution of women’s tennis after Serena Williams’ exit

Simona Halep believes women’s tennis has evolved significantly since Serena Williams retired in 2022. Speaking to The Guardian, Halep shared her observations on the power and aggression in the women’s game.

“I feel from the TV that they have a lot of power, like service 185-190kmh,” she said. While Williams’ powerful serve has always been iconic, Halep noted that many players now serve at similar speeds. “Of course, we had in the past players serving like that – Serena [Williams], [Petra] Kvitova. But now I feel like most of them are serving very strong.” Halep also reflected on how this shift might affect her comeback.

Known for her excellent return game, she acknowledged the increased challenge. “Always, I return very well, even when [Karolina] Pliskova was serving,” she said. However, Halep admitted she is no longer the player she was during her time in the top five. “I’m not like three years ago, four years ago. So I don’t know how my body will handle that right now,” she added.

Her comments highlight the growing competitiveness in the WTA Tour, where power and aggressive play have become essential to success.