“Be worried about everything they eat,” Simona Halep sounds tough advice for young players after being given contaminated supplements by former coach Patrick Mouratoglou

The Romanian marked her return to the Tour by playing in the first round of the 2024 Miami Open against Paula Badosa in the first round.

“Be worried about everything they eat,” Simona Halep sounds tough advice for young players after being given contaminated supplements by former coach Patrick Mouratoglou

Patrick Mouratoglou and Simona Halep (Via Imago)

Former World No. 1 Simona Halep marked her return to the Tour at the 2024 Miami Open. Suspended from playing since the 2022 US Open, the Romanian had a lengthy court battle to prove her case in the doping case. Post her match in Miami on Tuesday, Halep gave some important advice to the next-gen players to avoid the trouble she faced for the last year or so.

After being found guilty initially by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), Halep had appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). The highest court in sports had a thorough investigation of all the facts during the three-day investigation that took place in the city of Lausanne.

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Between this, Halep’s then-coach Patrick Mouratoglou took responsibility for providing her with the supplement that contained the banned substance of roxadustat. This helped Halep’s case as the CAS found her to have consumed the substance unknowingly.

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This saw her punishment reduced from 48 months to nine months. As she had already served that time, she was cleared for an immediate return. The Miami Open organizers offered her a wildcard soon after as they were eager for the presence of the two-time singles Major title winner.

The return, however not completely sweet for the Romanian, as Paula Badosa made a stunning comeback against her in a three-set win. Nevertheless, it was a good return for the Romanian. She was happy to have returned, but the bitterness towards Mouratoglou was visible and she made a strong comment against the Academy as well. 

They (players) have to be worried about everything they eat and they do. Sometimes it can happen unexpected. It's a stress for everybody. We have just to believe that something like (what) happened to me doesn't happen to them because it's terrible.
Halep said in the press conference.

Halep also threw light on how difficult the past 19 months were for her. ‘Stay alert’ is the message she passed on to youngsters seeking advice from her experience.

It has been a terrible period for me and very stressful emotionally. The advice is just to check what they take and to be aware about everything. It's tough to give advice, because I don't wish anyone to go through what I went through.
added the Romanian.

Simona Halep’s next tournament still undecided

While her stay in Miami was short-lived, it still showed the Romanian is far from being dusted. Despite an absence of nearly 19 months, Halep brought down Badosa 6-1 in the opening set.

Simona Halep
Simona Halep (via IMAGO)

It was only after the close battle in the second set that the former World No. 1 started running on fumes. The Spaniard made the best use of it and took control of the match to win it 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. She will now take on the second seed and her Tour best friend Aryna Sabalenka.

For Halep, she is yet to figure out her next events. The Tour will move into the clay season in preparation for the 2024 French Open. With the 2024 Olympics also set to be played in Paris this year, Halep will be a big hope for Romania given she is a former winner in Roland Garros.

Currently being unranked, the Romanian will have to rely on wildcards for direct entry in the main draw. With the Golden Swing more than 10 days away, the former World No. 1 will hope to get her schedule for the next few months.

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