"What's she training for?"; "Isn't she out for 4 years?" - Simona Halep taking to the tennis court amid doping suspension intrigues fans 

National Bank Open Toronto - Day 9
Simona Halep spotted in a tennis practice session

Simona Halep appears to be determined to make a comeback in tennis. She recently uploaded a video of a training session, the first time she has done so since her provisional doping suspension.

The former World No. 1 was banned from professional tennis for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on September 12. Halep found herself in hot water after two breaches of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

Halep tested positive for a banned substance called “Roxadustat”, which is claimed to be a blood-boosting drug, during the 2022 US Open. Moreover, there were irregularities found in her athlete biological passport (ABP) in May this year.

Simona Halep wasted no time in declaring her intention to appeal the decision, vehemently denying any knowledge or intention of using any forbidden substance.

Halep recently posted a video of her hitting the court, to the tune of "Never Give Up" by Sia. The snippet, posted on her Instagram account, grabbed tennis fans' attention, and they had a lot to say about it.

One of the fans questioned what Halep was training for after being banned for four years.

"What’s she training for?", they wrote.

Another tennis enthusiast was seemingly left in bewilderment over the ban as they remarked:

'Maybe it’s just for health. Isn’t she out for 4 years?"

Yet another tweet read:

"I wanna be this delusional".

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:


"I am continuing to train and return to the court" - Simona Halep

The Romanian at the National Bank Open Toronto - Day 9
The Romanian at the National Bank Open Toronto - Day 9

Simona Halep is seemingly determined to establish her innocence after receiving a four-year suspension from ITIA.

The 32-year-old has disputed the claims and the long-term suspension and is keen to reverse her fate. She stated that her next step would be to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) — the top authority for sports disputes.

According to a statement issued last month, she expressed her resolve and stated (h/t ESPN):

"I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court."

In addition, Halep has stated that she will be using all legal options open to her against the supplement business at the center of this controversy.

Halep reached the summit of the WTA rankings in October 2017. She won the French Open in 2018 and won Wimbledon the following year, beating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the final.

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Edited by Aniket Rai
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