Simona Halep has confirmed the next tournament she will be participating in following her return from injury. The Romanian announced that she will be flying to Hong Kong to compete in the Hong Kong 125 Open.
Halep was initially handed a four-year ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open and for biological passport irregularities in May 2023. However, her ban was reduced to nine months in March 2024 after she appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and made her comeback at the 2024 Miami Open.
Upon her return to the tour at the Miami Open, Halep faced Spain’s Paula Badosa in the first round but was knocked out. She then competed at the Paris Challenger (women), facing McCartney Kessler. After winning the first set, she was forced to retire due to a knee injury.
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On Saturday, Romanian tennis posted a video of Halep announcing her participation in the Hong Kong 125 Open on X (formerly Twitter). She thanked the organizers for granting her a wildcard and added that she was excited to get back on court sooner than expected.
“Hello guys, I figured today was a great day to share the great news that I will be back on the court sooner than expected, I will be flying to Hong Kong tomorrow to compete in the WTA 125 Hong Kong Open, big thanks to the tournament for the wild card and I cannot wait to see you all there.” Simona Halep said
The 2024 Hong Kong 125 Open is the inaugural edition of the tournament, set to take place from September 30 to October 6, 2024. Marie Bouzková, Magda Linette, Elina Avanesyan, and Varvara Gracheva, among others from the WTA Tour, are expected to compete.
Simona Halep on Jannik Sinner’s doping case - “It was judged totally differently, and I suffered a lot”
Simona Halep expressed her dissatisfaction with the way Jannik Sinner's doping case was handled, comparing it to her own experience. Jannik Sinner's positive test for Clostebol in March was not publicly disclosed until August after he had already appealed the decision.
“I don't think it's about defense," Halep said. "I think it is about something very clear and visible. It was judged totally differently, and I suffered a lot. I waited a long time, which doesn't seem fair to me at all."
I believe that all athletes should have the same judgment and be treated the same, regardless of whether they are number 1 or number 200, It doesn't seem right to me what happened. It is a subject that I would like to leave behind and continue to live my life because life is beautiful." - Simona Halep said
Having won 24 WTA singles titles, including the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, Simona Halep is looking to get her career back on track at the 2024 Hong Kong 125 Open. She is currently ranked No. 1,130 in the WTA rankings.
