Maria Sharapova fans lashed out at Simona Halep's recent endorsement of criticism directed towards WTA Players' Council members. The Russian's loyalists recalled how the Romanian had suggested in the past that players coming back from doping suspensions should not be receiving help. Halep had made the past remark after the end of Sharapova's doping ban in 2017.
Sharapova was initially banned for two years in 2016 after testing positive for Meldonium. However, the ban was eventually reduced to 15 months, with the Russian eventually making her return in April 2017 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, as a wildcard.
The event's decision to award Maria Sharapova a wildcard entry into the main draw triggered outrage, with Simona Halep voicing particularly harsh criticism.
"For the kids, for the young players, it is not okay to help a player with a wild card who was banned for doping. It is not about Maria Sharapova here, but it is about all the players that are found doped. I cannot support what the tournament director did, but also, I cannot judge," Halep had said.
Halep herself would later face a ban for testing positive for Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. The Romanian was cleared to return earlier this year. Recently, the former World No. 1 shared a fan theory that suggested WTA Players' Council members Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka and others had rejected Halep's request for her ranking to be restored out of bias.
An X (formerly Twitter) user compared the two contrasting scenarios, and Maria Sharapova fans were quick to call Simona Halep out.
Several fans labeled Halep a hypocrite for previously rejecting the idea of helping Sharapova but recently seeking help from her peers. One fan went as far as to call Halep's two Grand Slam title triumphs 'vultured' (2018 French Open, 2019 Wimbledon Championships), claiming that the Romanian wouldn't have won them had the legendary Serena Williams not become a mother.
"She's such a hypocrite lol her vultured slams only came after rena's (Serena Williams') pregnancy, and the new gen hasn't come up yet," a fan wrote.
"Glad someone else is calling out the hypocrisy," commented another fan.
"Great example on how literally putting yourself in someone else’s shoes totally changes your perspective," another chimed in.
Some more fans poured in with a myriad of reactions on the subject.
"It's funny how Halep fans never bring this quote up as they defend her current temper tantrums over completely different cases," a fan wrote, referring to the Romanian's criticism of the handling of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek's doping rows.
"Karma," one added.
"This off-season is CRAZY," weighed in yet another fan.
Sharapova exacted revenge on Halep at the 2017 US Open, the Russian's first Grand Slam appearance after returning from her doping ban.
Maria Sharapova stunned Simona Halep in US Open 2017 1R
Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova faced each other on six occasions prior to the Russian's doping suspension. All six of those contests ended in Sharapova's favor.
Things continued in the same vein at the 2017 US Open, where No. 2 seed Halep suffered a shock 4-6, 6-4, 3-6 loss to Sharapova, who was given a wildcard entry into the hardcourt Major's main draw. The Russian was refused wildcard entries into the French Open and Wimbledon Championships.
However, it was the Romanian who won her final two encounters against the Russian before the latter called time on her trophy-laden career in 2020. Sharapova retired with a 7-2 head-to-head lead over Halep.