"Everybody was shocked" - Andreea Prisacariu sheds light on response to Simona Halep's doping ban in Romania

World No. 322 Andreea Prisacariu recently gave her thoughts on compatriot Simona Halep receiving a doping ban.

Last week, Halep was handed a four-year ban from professional tennis by the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) for breaches of the sport's anti-doping program. The independent body claimed in a detailed report that Halep had intentionally breached anti-doping measures with her intake of Roxadustat.

The news subsequently sent shockwaves across the entire tennis community. While the former World No. 1 has claimed innocence, she has been met with vilification from a few fans.

In that context, Andreea Prisacariu was asked about the reaction to the scandal in her and Halep's home country Romania. Prisacariu was speaking on the latest episode of the Novak Weekly Podcast.

The 23-year-old replied that the Romanian population was "shocked" by the incident. However, she went on to say she did not know the ins and outs of the situation.

Prisacariu also claimed she is yet to read the entirety of the ITIA's report on Simona Halep.

"Everybody was shocked obviously. But I'm not trying to lead the media on... I know she's still in the trial. She's technically in the battle for the final result. I'm not powerful enough to have a judgement on this. I didn't read it," she said.

---

"Simona Halep's best-case scenario is that she can have two years and come back in October 2024" - Tennis journalist

Simona Halep will only be eligible to play tournaments by 2026 according to the ITIA's decision

Tennis journalist Mario Boccardi, who was also invited to the podcast, was asked to elaborate on what would be the best-case scenario for Simona Halep at the moment.

The Italian replied that the 31-year-old should do everything in her power to prove that she did not consume the Roxadustat knowingly. He also said her best bet right now is to get the ban reduced to two years.

"Her best case scenario is she may be able to prove that there may have been some circumstances which may have not been depending on her will. And she can have just two years and basically come back in October 2024. This is the best possible scenario," he said.

"Less than two years is difficult, even if it's a contamination, it's not enough to let you to free yourself from allegations. It's enough to reduce it because you haven't done it intentionally," he added.

The journalist was also probed on the possibility of Simona Halep's trophies being handed to the opponents she beat in the later stages. He replied in the negative, while also condemning social media users for propagating the above theory.

"I don't think so. Nevertheless, I want to tell people joking on Twitter. I don't think they have clear proof to say she was doping since a long time. They cannot give trophy simply to who she lost the final with," he said.

"Taking away trophies... it's not fair to give trophy to whom she lost the final. Because she also played a semifinal, and there was a player who could've beaten the finalist," he added.

Halep's most recent WTA appearance was at the 2022 US Open, where she was knocked out in the first round by Daria Snigur of Ukraine 2-6, 6-0, 4-6.