Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended for doping after a prohibited substance was found in a sample she provided during the US Open last August.
The International Agency for the Integrity of Tennis (ITIA, for its acronym in English) reported this Friday the appearance of Roxadustat, a drug against anemia that increases the production of erythropoietin, in Halep’s urine.
The player, former world number one and currently in ninth place in the WTA ranking, requested the analysis of the B sample, which gave the same result.
Halep, 31, “will not be able to compete or attend any tennis tournament organized by the governing bodies of this sport,” said the Agency, which manages anti-doping controls in professional tennis.
The US Open was the last tournament played by the Romanian, who lost in the first round to the Ukrainian Daria Snigur 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.
Roxadustat appears on the list of substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it increases the endogenous production of erythropoietin and stimulates the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells, for which it is estimated that it improves the performance of athletes.
Winner of 24 titles throughout her career, this year she won those in Melbourne and Toronto. She won 2018 at Roland Garros and 2019 at Wimbledon. EFE
