Halep given four-year ban from tennis over doping offences
Eugenie Bouchard posted a sly dig on social media following Simona Halep’s ban from tennis. The Romanian is suspended for four years after breaching the sport’s Anti-Doping Program on two occasions.
The news has shaken the tennis world and now 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Bouchard has had her say on the matter. She took to social media account X and wrote: “I was told not to tweet today”, which is an indirect reference to Halep’s suspension.
The pair don’t appear to be on the friendliest of terms, with Halep confirming the pair don’t speak. Halep has previously told media: “I didn’t wish good luck to Bouchard because we don’t speak, actually. She’s different, I can say. I cannot judge her for being this. I cannot admire her for being this. I have nothing to say about her person.”
Canadian Bouchard’s message is also in connection to previous comments on doping charges against WTA player Dayana Yastremska and former star Maria Sharapova.
She played both players at the Madrid Open after they had tested positive for banned substances. In a now-deleted tweet, the 29-year-old said: “There’s something about playing dopers in Madrid,” after defeating Yastremska in the first round of the Madrid Open in April of this year. At the beginning of 2021, Yastremska was banned for doping, but six months later all charges were dropped and she returned to the tour in June of that year.
In 2017, Bouchard beat Sharapova in Madrid after she was handed a two-year ban after testing positive for meldonium in January 2016. However, the Russian’s name was cleared and she was able to return to the tour sooner than originally expected, which angered the former World No. 5.
In an explosive interview with Turkish broadcaster TRT World in 2017, Bouchard said: “She is a cheater. So, to me, I don’t think a cheater in any sport should be allowed to play that sport again. It’s so unfair to all the other players who do it the right way and are true.” Therefore, given her previous comments about players who have been associated with doping, Bouchard chose her words carefully following Halep’s ban, which the two-time Grand Slam champion refuses to accept.
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“Today, a tribunal under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme announced a tentative decision in my case,” she said in a statement. “The last year has been the hardest match of my life, and unfortunately my fight continues. I have devoted my life to the beautiful game of tennis. I take the rules that govern our sport very seriously and take pride in the fact I have never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance.
“I refused to accept their decision of a four-year ban.” The 31-year-old was already serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for banned blood-booster roxadustat after the 2022 US Open. The drug increases the production of red blood cells and helps boost levels of endurance.
Halep’s ban means she will not be able to return to the WTA tour until Oct. 7, 2026, when she will be 35 years of age. She thanked her loved ones and fans for their support and she vowed to clear her name.
“I am eternally grateful for the outpouring of support I have received from my family, friends, and tennis fans around the world,” Halep added. “I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court. I intend to appeal this decision to The Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question.”
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