Patrick McEnroe adds method to mystery with Simona Halep “never said she didn’t take roxadustat” argument
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Patrick McEnroe (L) and Simona Halep (R)
After former World No.1 Simona Halep was provisionally banned for doping, many tennis players, both former and current have expressed their views on the ongoing controversy, in addition to those close to the Romanian for family or personal reasons.
In one such response, doubles great Patrick McEnroe added more mystery to Halep’s doping controversy by pointing out that she hasn’t yet admitted to not taking roxadustat, and has only spoken about not having taken any prohibited substance “knowingly.” The logic is quite interesting considering Halep hasn’t plainly denied not taking the drug so far despite vouching for her honesty and integrity all along.
“As far as I know her, she is an extremely polite and kind person, but again, that has nothing to do with whether she actually took the drug or not. She doesn’t say she didn’t take the doping product. At least in her comment she says she never knowingly took a banned substance,” McEnroe recently deduced in his podcast.
Novak Djokovic-led PTPA assures it will do everything to ensure a fair trial for doping-accused Simona Halep
Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil‘s co-founded Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) has also issued the statement over Halep‘s doping controversy. With players going in for doping tests, Halep’s test at the 2022 US Open returned the anti-anemia drug Roxadustat.
With the drug listed as illegal in the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list, Halep was found guilty by the the International Tennis Integrity Agency. Halep was immediately suspended from all tennis activities and the PTPA has now issued a statement of their own over the incident.
“The PTPA is committed to ensure that Simona Halep, like all other tennis players, has a fair trial during the entire process. We will fight for her rights and try to insist on transparency for all other tennis players,” read the PTPA’s statement.
Halep was suspended on Friday, 21st October and the Romanian had issued a statement of her own as well. Pleading innocence in the whole incident, Halep agreed to cooperate completely with the officials to clear the allegation from her name.
While Nick Kyrgios and Serena Williams‘ husband Alexis Ohanian have fired cynical shots, Sorana Cirstea has come out in support of Halep. Although the PTPA has released a statement of their own, Pospisil or Djokovic are yet to comment on the controversy from a personal point of view.
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Ashish Maggo
(191 Articles Published)