“Extremely shocked and disappointed,” Simona Halep slams ITIA amid doping hearing delays alleging her rights are violated

Simona Halep slams ITIA as she feels her rights are getting violated amidst repeated delays in hearings.

“Extremely shocked and disappointed,” Simona Halep slams ITIA amid doping hearing delays alleging her rights are violated

Simona Halep (Image via Tennis World)

Sports take drug charges seriously. It’s not ideal to fall into the trap of such charges. The way back is tougher than ever. The fact that you lose most of your support makes it even tougher. Hardly anyone wants to put their hand in, as effectively those charges were for cheating in the sport.

The last eight months have been rough for Romanian ace Simona Halep. The charges she was stamped with have derailed her career, and being unable to participate in any event due to suspension has certainly not been easy.

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Halep was charged at the US Open last year due to a positive test for Roxadustat, a banned substance. She has repeatedly tried to prove her innocence; however, things have only gone downhill. Recently she was once again charged as her Athlete Biological Passport showed irregularities.

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Halep, who is unhappy with these charges, recently came out and tweeted that her rights are violated. She has repeatedly asked for a hearing but has not been given what she has the right for. She has questioned the International Tennis Integrity Agency based on this. Her tweet read, “I am once again extremely shocked and disappointed by the ITIA’s attitude.“

She added, “While the ITIA via their representative Nicole Sapstead was publicly stating 3 days ago that the ITIA “has remained committed to engaging Mrs Halep in an empathetic, efficient and timely manner”, they were at the same time officially requesting the Tribunal to delay my hearing… for the third time. The ITIA publicly states one thing while privately doing another, I have repeatedly asked for my hearing and the ITIA has repeatedly sought to delay it.

When is it going to stop? I ask the question once again. I am entitled to a quick hearing. Acting this way is contrary to my rights,” she concluded.

Her tweet also points fingers at the ITIA. She feels the agency has been hypocritical as their words and actions don’t match. This has been a testing time in the former world no. 1s career. Fans still believe in her and expect a dream comeback as soon as she is back on the tennis court.

Related: Darren Cahill showers UNWAVERING support for Simona Halep after second doping allegation

Patrick Muratoglou calls the Halep case a harassment

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Patrick Muratoglou and Simona Halep (Image via CNN)

Halep’s coach Patrick Muratoglou has come out in support of Simona Halep amidst drug charges the Romanian faces. He feels the ITIA hasn’t given Halep her space to prove her innocence. The delay in hearing and constant pressure on Halep has been termed harassment by Muratoglou.

“I ask the ITIA to stop this harassment that is inconceivable and to stop constantly delaying the hearing that should have been held in February and is now planned at the end of May,” he said.

“Extremely shocked by the way this case has been conducted. I thought that the ITIA would pursue the goal to establish the truth, but they clearly try to prove her guilty even though she has been able to show multiple evidence of her innocence since December 2022.”

Hopefully, listening to her coach, the ITIA will speed up the process without further delays. Fans would want justice for their star as she goes through trying times. Ex-players and the audience believe that the former no. 1 will fight through this and emerge stronger.

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