Simona Halep to take legal action against supplement manufacturer after her team provides evidence of testing negative for Roxadustat 3 days prior to the positive sample, ITIA unbothered

Simona Halep to take legal action against supplement manufacturer after her team provides evidence of testing negative for Roxadustat 3 days prior to the positive sample, ITIA unbothered

Simona Halep (Image via CNN)

Romanian tennis ace Simona Halep, who has been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) over doping, has said that she will take legal action against the supplement manufacturer duo to which her urine samples showed the presence of Roxadustat. Halep also claimed that she tested negative for the prohibited drug three days before her sample was tested. 

The 32-year-old then (through her legal team) claims to have identified the source of Roxadustat found in her doping samples. Halep has claimed that she never consumed the drug and it entered via a Keto MCT supplement she consumed before her urine test. 

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Halep claims that although the supplement does not mention it contains the prohibited drug, another volunteer also tested positive for Roxadustat. “It was really good to find out where [the Roxadustat] was coming from because it’s really tough when you don’t know what is happening,” Halep said to Front Office Sports. Hence, she has decided to take legal action against the supplement manufacturer. 

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Also read: Beatriz Haddad Maia suffers multiple cuts and stitches after explosion in her shower forcing her to withdraw from the Guadalajara Open 

Simona Halep says taking Roxadustat would have never helped her

Talking further about the presence of Roxadustat and allegations about her consuming it for better endurance, Simona Halep refuted the claims saying that consuming the during would have never helped her.

Simona Halep
Simona Halep (Image via The Guardian)

In fact, it would have worked against her as it would have exacerbated a thyroid issue, claimed the Romanian. “There was no point for me to take this,” Halep said. “It’d work against me. It wouldn’t help me.”

It is worth mentioning that Roxadustat has structural similarity with T3 and is a selective activating ligand for thyroid hormone receptor-β possibly suppressing TSH release (according to National Institutes of Health). Nevertheless, now, as Halep has been slapped with the suspension, the Romanian has said that she would appeal against the decision.

It is to be seen if it pays any dividends or if it will be a shot in the dark. The ITIA seems to be least bothered with these claims from Halep as there have been no comments from the organization or its officials whatsoever.

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