Halep suspended after positive test at US Open

Former No. 1-ranked subordinate Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency and faces a imaginable four-year prohibition from tennis aft failing a cause trial during the US Open.

The ITIA announced the suspension for Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion who is presently No. 9 successful the WTA rankings, connected Friday, saying she tested affirmative for the banned substance roxadustat.

Saying she was "confused and betrayed" by the situation, Halep tweeted that she would commencement a "fight for the truth" and noted that her trial showed "an highly debased quantity."

"I volition combat until the extremity to beryllium that I ne'er knowingly took immoderate prohibited substance and I person religion that sooner oregon later, the information volition travel out," Halep wrote.

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Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Halep faces a prohibition of up to 4 years for a affirmative trial for a substance specified arsenic roxadustat. Athletes tin gain a simplification successful their ban, apt to 3 years, if they rapidly admit an discourtesy and judge their sanction.

Tennis authorities volition grip Halep's case, and immoderate ruling tin beryllium challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency successful an entreaty to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

During a provisional suspension, a tennis subordinate is ineligible to vie in, oregon attend, immoderate sanctioned events.

Roxadustat is simply a cause approved for aesculapian usage successful the European Union to dainty the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure. According to the EU's medicines agency, which approved roxadustat past year, it stimulates the assemblage to nutrient much of the earthy hormone erythropoietin, oregon EPO, which has agelong been a doping merchandise favored by cyclists and region runners.

The 31-year-old Romanian subordinate precocious announced she was taking the remainder of this play off aft having chemoreceptor country to amended her breathing. She considered retiring aboriginal this twelvemonth aft a bid of injuries but past said she felt rejuvenated aft teaming up successful April with manager Patrick Mouratoglou, who utilized to enactment with Serena Williams.

Representatives for the U.S. Tennis Association and Mouratoglou declined comment.

Halep was seeded No. 7 astatine the US Open erstwhile she mislaid to Daria Snigur of Ukraine 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 connected Aug. 30. She won the French Open successful 2018 and Wimbledon successful 2019, beating 23-time large champion Williams successful the last astatine the All England Club.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.