“Not okay to help with a wild card,” Simona Halep’s comment on Maria Sharapova’s doping ban comes back to bite her after she is granted a wildcard at the Miami Open

Former World No. 1 Simona Halep made a return to professional tennis in the first round of the 2024 Miami Open. This comes after 19 months of absence from the Tour after being suspended for doping following the 2022 US Open. However, her comeback hasn’t been all merry of sorts, as one of her past comments has come to bite back at Halep, which might garner her the label of a ‘hypocrite’.

She, however, fought her case with the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) finally hearing her plea. As Halep had been given the contaminated sample, she wasn’t found entirely guilty. The initial sentence of a suspension of four years was hence reduced to nine months.

Having missed more than 18 months, since the US Open in 2022, she was cleared to play immediately. Miami Open didn’t hesitate in handing the two-time Grand Slam singles title winner a wildcard into the main draw. However, the decision wasn’t well taken by some, especially by Caroline Wozniacki.

The Dane questioned the tournament’s motive, believing players out due to doping should work their way back. She made it clear on not taking a dig at Halep directly, but at the overall situation of a banned player receiving a wildcard on their comeback.

The Romanian was quite defensive when she was asked about Wozniacki’s comment on the situation. She maintained her innocence, claiming she didn’t ‘cheat or dope’ and told the critics to read the ruling of CAS. But her defensive comments weren’t taken well on social media.

One particular social media user compared the former Wimbledon winner’s comment to when Maria Sharapova had returned following her suspension. The Romanian felt players returning from doping shouldn’t be given wildcards, as it sets a poor example for young players.

For the kids, for the young players, it is not OK to help with a wild card the player that was banned for doping. It is not about Sharapova here, but it is about all the players that are found doped. 

Halep had said on Sharapova receiving wildcards.

The contrasting doping cases of Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep

While Halep had claimed she was given the contaminated sample by the Academy of Patrick Mouratoglou, Sharapova had made no such claims. She had taken responsibility for her actions and pleaded innocence claiming she missed out on the notification of the updated list of banned substances.

The Russian great had tested positive for meldonium, an anti-ischemic drug, that had been banned from January 1, 2016. Sharapova was found to have violated the policy at the Australian Open in 2016. She denied consuming it for ‘doping’ but was using it entirely under her doctor’s prescription.

CAS noted the fact that the player had been using the drug for the last decade and under medical supervision while also blaming the authorities for poor communication. But Sharapova was also held accountable, along with her agent, for not being aware of the five notifications issued earlier.

As a result, her sentence was reduced from 24 months to 15 months. This allowed her to return to the Tour in April 2017. Within a year, she had broken into the Top 25 and also reached the quarter-finals at the French Open.

While Sharapova made the semi-finals in Stuttgart upon her return then, Halep was knocked out in the first round of the Miami Open. The Romanian will now need to focus on the clay season, searching for her comeback win.

In case you missed it:

• “That’s that guy who disrespected Djokovic at the USO”- 16-year-old Ben Shelton lookalike breaks the internet after wildcard entry in Miami after years of training with Carlos Alcaraz
• “I wouldn’t tell the press,” Martina Navratilova extends her support to Andy Murray’s retirement decisions insofar that the ATP legend plans to exit stage on his own terms

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