The complete Simona Halep doping saga: From 4-year suspension and Patrick Mouratoglou break-up to successful CAS hearing and return to action

Simona Halep's four-year doping ban was recently reduced to nine months after a successful appeal in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Simona Halep was initially handed a four-year doping ban due to two violations of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). The first violation dates back to August 29, 2022, when she tested positive for the prohibited substance Roxadustat at the US Open.

The second violation was related to irregularities in Halep’s Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), which is a record of substances in an athlete's body. This led to a provisional ban being levied from October 2022 and Halep proclaimed innocence in the matter.

An independent tribunal was convened on June 28 and 29, 2023, in London, to investigate the evidence provided by Halep and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). On September 11, 2023, the tribunal ruled that Halep had committed the two violations. The ruling also stated that the Romanian had consumed Roxadustat in 2022 based on an analysis of 51 blood samples provided by her for the ABP. As a result, a four-year ban, from October 7, 2022, to October 6, 2026, was imposed.

Simona Halep ended her partnership with coach Patrick Mouratoglou in December 2023 after the famed French coach admitted in a November interview that the Roxadustat present in Halep's system was from a contaminated supplement he recommended to her. The Romanian said at the time that her "trust is broken," and she is paying the price for her coach's mistake.

She contested the ban and appealed for a reduction in the sentence in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sports. After multiple delays, her case was heard by CAS from February 7 to 9, 2024, in Lausanne. The former World No. 1 appeared confident about the outcome after exiting the hearings.

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the CAS published the results of its hearing, which reduced the duration of the ban to just nine months. This meant that the Romanian's suspension, which began in October 2022, would end in July 2023, and she could return to professional tennis immediately.

After a careful examination of the evidence, CAS asserted that Roxadustat was found in Simona Halep's system because of a contaminated supplement, as she contested in her argument. Therefore, the panel ruled that Halep bore "no significant fault or negligence" and did not commit intentional doping.

"Having carefully considered all the evidence put before it, the CAS Panel determined that Ms. Halep had established, on the balance of probabilities, that the Roxadustat entered her body through the consumption of a contaminated supplement, which she had used in the days shortly before 29 August 2022 and that the Roxadustat, as detected in her sample, came from that contaminated product. As a result, the CAS Panel determined that Ms. Halep had also established, on the balance of probabilities, that her anti-doping rule violations were not intentional," the statement read.

"Although the CAS Panel found that Ms. Halep did bear some level of fault or negligence for her violations, as she did not exercise sufficient care when using the Keto MCT supplement, it concluded that she bore no significant fault or negligence," CAS added.

The CAS also cleared Simona Halep of the charges related to irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport. The panel stated that ITIA failed to establish that the two-time Grand Slam champion violated any anti-doping regulations.

"With respect to the charge concerning Ms. Halep's ABP, the ITIA bore the onus of establishing (to the standard of comfortable satisfaction) that Ms. Halep had used a prohibited substance and/or prohibited method."

"Contrary to the reasoning of the first instance tribunal, the CAS Panel determined that it was appropriate in the circumstances to consider the results of a private blood sample given by Ms. Halep... Having regard to the evidence as a whole, the CAS Panel was not comfortably satisfied that an anti-doping rule violation under Article 2.2. of the TADP had occurred. It therefore dismissed that charge," CAS stated.

Simona Halep eyes return to tour with "vigor" after doping ban reduction

Simona Halep took to Instagram after CAS announced its ruling to thank her legal team for their support throughout the case. She also expressed gratitude to "so many Romanians" who stood by her and helped her fend off the charges.

In her post, Halep also noted that CAS had instructed ITIA to compensate her with CHF 20,000 ($22,606). The 32-year-old added that she remains in a buoyant spirit and looks forward to returning to the WTA Tour with "renewed vigor."

Here is an excerpt from Halep's Instagram post:

"In the midst of this challenging journey, my unwavering belief in the integrity of the truth and in the principles of justice has been my beacon. Despite facing daunting accusations and formidable opposition, my spirit remained buoyant, anchored in my unwavering conviction of being a clean athlete. This ordeal has been a testament to resilience, and the triumph of truth is a bittersweet vindication that, albeit delayed, is immensely gratifying," her caption read.

"I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my legal team, whose steadfast faith and exceptional dedication have been instrumental in navigating through these turbulent times. Equally, my sponsors, loyal fans, and some commendable competitors have been my pillars of strength, offering unwavering support and solidarity. The overwhelming backing from so many Romanians has also fortified my resolve, enabling me to champion this cause to a rightful and honorable conclusion. Looking forward, I am eager to turn this page and rejoin the tour with renewed vigor and an invigorated spirit," Simona Halep continued.

Simona Halep last played at the 2022 US Open, where she lost to Ukraine's Daria Snigur in the opening round.