"Every athlete deserves a fair and timely trial" - Ellen Perez calls out ITIA and ITF for poor handling of Simona Halep's doping saga

Australian tennis player Ellen Perez has criticized the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for their inadequate management of Simona Halep's doping controversy.

Halep has been under provisional suspension since October 2022 after testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open.

Roxadustat is notorious for its capacity to enhance the production of red blood cells and stimulate the growth of endogenous erythropoietin (EPO), which could potentially result in enhanced athletic performance and endurance.

This year in May, the ITIA once again brought forth charges against the Romanian for a second violation of anti-doping regulations. The ITIA discovered irregularities in Halep's Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

Since the charges were filed, Simona Halep has been barred from competing, while the ITIA has persistently deferred her hearing dates. Originally set for February, the hearing was subsequently rescheduled for March.

Even though the hearings finally took place a few weeks back, as of Friday, September 1, the decision on the hearing has been pushed back by an additional week.

After witnessing the appalling mishandling of the former World No. 1's case, Ellen Perez took to social media to criticize the ITIA and the ITF for their incompetence. She emphasized that it is immaterial whether one believes in Simona Halep's innocence or guilt, as every athlete deserves a fair and prompt trial.

Perez further encouraged fellow athletes to raise their voices, as they would hope for the same support if they found themselves in a similar predicament.

"Irrelevant of if you believe Simona Halep is innocent or not, every athlete deserves a fair and timely trial. How the ITIA and ITF is handling this is beyond poor. I urge other athletes to speak up because if it was you in this situation you’d hope for the same," Perez tweeted.

"This has been anything but fair" - Simona Halep's former coach Darren Cahill slams ITIA for 'appalling' handling of Romanian's doping hearing

Simona Halep

Simona Halep's former coach, Darren Cahill also voiced his concerns regarding the handling of her case. He strongly criticized the ITF and ITIA for their appalling management of the hearing process. Despite having deep respect for the testing program, Cahill asserted that the entire procedure has been marred by a lack of fairness.

"Another delay. The details of this case will eventually come to light but regardless of the outcome, this process has been handled appallingly by the ITF & ITIA. Zero care or concern for the athlete or her well-being with this case dragging on for nearly 12-months and still no judgement or resolution. I respect our testing program and a fair process but this has been anything but fair," he stated.

Darren Cahill stressed the importance of allowing Simona Halep to advance in her career and personal life, both of which are currently at a standstill.

Furthermore, he firmly asserted that the council must enhance its efforts to safeguard players and provide them with prompt resolutions, as they currently lack any form of protection or rights in this regard.

"Simona [Halep] deserves the right to get on with her career and/or her life. At the moment she can do neither. No player should ever have to go through a process of delays like this again. The WTA, the board and the player council need to do better to ensure the players have some protection and rights to a quicker resolution. At the moment, they have none," Cahill added.

Darren Cahill's Instagram story