"Needs to stop playing the victim" - Fans accuse Simona Halep of "lies" after latest remarks on Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner doping test cases

Simona Halep criticized the disparity in treatment during her doping case, claiming players like Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner were handled differently. However, several fans were critical of her remarks, accusing the Romanian of portraying herself as a 'victim'.

Halep initially received a four-year suspension after testing positive for Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. Earlier this year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced her ban to nine months after reviewing her appeal. The former World No. 1 returned to the tour at the Miami Open.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine on August 12, during her Cincinnati Open campaign. She was provisionally suspended from September 12 to October 14. In her explanation, Swiatek attributed the result to unintentional contamination from a melatonin supplement used for treating sleep issues. After a thorough investigation, the ITIA concluded that the Pole bore "no significant fault or negligence" and issued a one-month suspension, which has already ended.

Similar to Swiatek, Jannik Sinner tested positive for 'Clostebol' in March but successfully overturned the provisional suspension by explaining that the substance entered his system during treatment by his physiotherapist.

Halep, however, expressed dissatisfaction with how Sinner and Swiatek's cases were handled. In an interview with The Telegraph published on Thursday, December 5, Simona Halep criticized the secrecy surrounding their cases, contrasting it with the public scrutiny of her own.

"What I believe is not fair, either, is that they announced my case straight away, and I got all the heat from the press, and for these two players they kept it secret, and they just said about the case when everything was done, so it's very weird," She said.

A fan later shared her interview on X (formerly Twitter):

Several fans however disapproved of Simona Halep's statements, with one writing:

"Simona need to stop playing the victim."

"I certainly feel for her. But a lot of her quotes really need community notes. She, like Swiatek, said she "wasn't allowed to talk about it" during the process. But there's nothing in the process to actually prohibit it. Also, she did talk (write) about it," another said.

A fan later accused Halep of lying, dismissing her comparison to other players’ doping cases as misleading.

"Why anyone is giving her any oxygen or airtime for these LIES is bizarre. It is *not* the same. I suggest everyone reads all the cases in depth. As opposed to believing her clickbait," they wrote.

Here are a few more reactions from the fans:

"She had 2 PED offenses separated by mnths, PED amounts unsupported by tainted supplement mistakes, bio passport issues unlike Sinner/Swiatek, Mouratoglou taking blame over 1 yr from 1st failed test, & no chain of custody within 24 hrs of notification; it's not the same," a fan commented.

"She makes herself look like a victim when their cases were very different. Halep has already forgotten about the irregularities in the biological passport," one chimed in.

"Simona is a victim," a fan said.

A week ago, on November 29, Simona Halep issued a lengthy statement on Instagram amid Iga Swiatek's doping row.

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Simona Halep: "Why is there such a big difference in treatment and judgment"

Miami Open Presented by Itau 2024 - Day 4 - Source: Getty

On Friday, November 29, Simona Halep issued a statement on Instagram, expressing frustration over the disparity in treatment and judgment in her case. The Romanian accused the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) of "destroying" her despite the evidence.

"I'm sitting and trying to understand, but it's really impossible for me to understand something like this. I stand and ask myself, why is there such a big difference in treatment and judgment? I can’t find and I don’t think there can be a logical answer. It can only be bad will from ITIA, the organization that has done absolutely everything to destroy me despite the evidence," Simona Halep wrote in her lengthy statement.

Similar to Halep, Australian player Nick Kyrgios also criticized the verdicts that came in favor of Swiatek and Sinner.