"Looks like a 24th title win to me" - Tennis fans react to Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian allegedly mocking Simona Halep's doping ban

Tennis fans reacted with amusement to Serena Williams' husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian apparently mocking Simona Halep for her four-year suspension for doping.

Halep tested positive for the prohibited substance Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open. Roxadustat is known for its potential to enhance athletic performance and endurance.

In May this year, the ITIA charged Halep with a second violation of anti-doping regulations as they discovered irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).

On Tuesday, September 12, after a series of delays, the ITIA finally announced that Halep, who has maintained her innocence throughout the saga, was suspended for four years. This decision was reached in accordance with the ruling of an independent tribunal.

Soon after the news broke Alexis Ohanian posted a tweet seemingly directed at Halep, who prevented Serena Williams from winning her eighth Wimbledon title in 2019. Ohanian shared a picture of himself taken during Williams' first-round match against Maria Sharapova at the 2019 US Open, which showed him sporting a D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) T-shirt.

Tennis fans were amused to see Ohanian's subtle dig at Halep. One fan even likened it to Serena Williams winning her 24th Grand Slam title, while calling it a form of "justice" for her.

"Oh This is Sooooooooooo Good!!!!!! 😂 Justice for Serena Williams ❤️ 😎 Looks Like a 24th Title Win To Meeeeeee…. 😎 " the fan posted.

Another fan jokingly suggested that the "Ohanian-Williams household" was a laugh riot.

"The Ohanian-Williams household is.... 😂 " the fan posted.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

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Simona Halep vows to fight the ITIA's verdict

Simona Halep

After being handed a four-year suspension by the ITIA, Simona Halep has made the decision to challenge the ruling by filing an appeal. In her pursuit of proving her innocence, Halep released a social media statement shedding light on the events that unfolded.

"I believe in a clean sport and in almost two decades as a professional tennis player, through hundreds of tournaments and two Grand Slam titles, I have taken 200 blood and urine tests to check for prohibited substances - all of which have been clean, until August 29, 2022," Simona Halep wrote in her statement.

"Ahead of the hard court season in 2022, upon recommendation from my trusted team and physiotherapist, I adjusted my nutritional supplements. None of the listed ingredients included any prohibited substances," she added.

Halep has strongly refuted all the claims made against her and has remained resolute in her refusal to accept the imposed ban. She is determined to persist with her training while appealing the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

"I have never knowingly or intentionally used any prohibited substance. I refused to accept their decision of a four-year ban," Simona Halep said. "I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court. I intend to appeal this decision to The Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question."

Simona Halep's most recent match took place at the 2022 US Open, where she faced Ukraine's Daria Snigur in the opening round. She lost the contest 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.