Patrick Mouratoglou calls ITF ‘INSANE’ accusing them of a harassment campaign against Simona Halep
Simona Halep's hearing gets delayed once again by ITF forcing Patrick Mouratoglou to use harsh words against the governing body.
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ITF chairman David Haggerty, Simona Halep, and Patrick Mouratoglou (Credits: Tennis Majors)
Former World No. 1 Simona Halep continues to await her return to the tennis court. The Romanian had initially called an early end to her season due to nose surgery. During her rehab, she was informed of having violated the drug policy. As a result, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) suspended her from all activities.
Halep was found to have used the banned substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. Since the ITF’s initial findings, Halep has been calling herself innocent in the matter. She has received the backing of coach Patrick Mouratoglou and also former coach Darren Cahill in the case. However, it has been of no impact as ITF continues to derail any hearing with six months of the 2023 season already over.
Recently, Halep vented out her frustration after her hearing was postponed for yet another time. Taking to her Twitter account, she released an elaborate statement as she was confirmed to miss out on the upcoming 2023 French Open. Showing her support yet again, Mouratoglou tweeted, “The @ITFTennis through their ITIA are continuing their incredible campaign of harassment of Simona.”
Not only did he call out the ITF, but he also cleared up things with a Twitter user as well who was quite critical of the player. Questioning Halep, the user said, “Wasnt she charged with a second doping violation because her medical passport had inconsistencies? She’s not getting a hearing anytime soon imo”. Mouratoglou promptly replied, “Her blood passport is totally normal. All the experts that I have asked to look at it confirmed it. The attitude of the ITF is insane.”
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Simona Halep unlikely to play the 2023 Wimbledon
While the damage to her reputation continues, Simona Halep is missing out on a crucial time of her career. The 31-year-old is now likely to miss the 2023 Wimbledon as well. A two-time champion at the Championships, Halep is unlikely to get a hearing in time before the entries close for the third Major of the season.
The ITF looks in no mood to fast-track the case as well. Halep was first charged in October with the hearing planned in December initially. Apart from the presence of the banned substance, it was also reported that much of the sample was contaminated. This solidified Halep’s case but the ITF ignored it pushing for a hearing.
Halep even highlighted that asking for a quick hearing is her right which has been denied by the ITF. Meanwhile, ITF has kept its silence speaking only to further delay the hearing. While the tennis world continues to show the former World No. 1 support, it is not actually helping Halep as even the WTA and its player council don’t get much say in this subject.
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)