Simona Halep expresses frustration over delay in doping hearing after suspension

Simona Halep is frustrated with the delay in her doping case. The former world number one and Wimbledon champion has been provisionally suspended since October 2020 after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat at the US Open. Her hearing, which she hopes will clear her name, has twice been postponed and is now scheduled for the end of May. Halep spoke out about the situation, saying, “If they do that, it will be almost eight months since I’ve been provisionally suspended for the first time, and I believe that it’s not fair to spend eight months without even being judged by the tribunal.” She claims that experts have found a contaminated supplement as the cause of the positive test. Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, has not played a match since losing in the opening round of the US Open last August. A spokesman for the International Tennis Integrity Agency said that the process is ongoing.