‘It’s Catastrophic’: Simona Halep Says Doping Appeal Loss Will End Tennis Career – News18

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is not working with coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy whereas she awaits a ruling on her attraction of a 4-12 months doping suspension and figures her tennis profession will likely be over if the Court of Arbitration for Sport guidelines in opposition to her.

“Four years is going to be a lot for my age,” Halep, a 32-12 months-outdated from Romania who has been No. 1 within the WTA rankings, stated in an interview with euronews posted on-line Friday.

“It’s catastrophic if it’s going to be four years,” she stated. “And I don’t know how I will handle it. Probably it’s going to be (the) end of (my) career, yes.”

Also Read: German Football Fans Plan to go Silent During Games to Protest Bundesliga Investment Deal

A 3-day listening to with the Court of Arbitration for Sport is scheduled for Feb. 7-9 in her attraction in opposition to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, which dominated that Halep “committed intentional anti-doping rule violations.”

Halep examined optimistic for the drug Roxadustat on the 2022 U.S. Open and likewise was cited for irregularities in her organic passport. Roxadustat stimulates the physique to provide extra of the pure hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has lengthy been a doping product favored by cyclists and distance runners.

Halep stated in Friday’s interview that she hasn’t spoken to Mouratoglou since “a few months ago.”

In a video Mouratoglou posted on Instagram in November, he took blame for offering a tainted substance to Halep.

“We brought her collagen from a company. This collagen happened to be contaminated,” Mouratoglou stated. “There was no way to know it. But I feel responsible for what happened because it’s my team — so me, basically — who brought her this collagen.”

Also Read: Button Announces Return to Racing, Will Compete in World Endurance Championship

Halep received the French Open in 2018 by beating Sloane Stephens within the ultimate, and Wimbledon in 2019 by defeating Serena Williams within the title match.

She spoke with euronews in Paris and stated she hopes she wins her attraction and will likely be eligible to compete in subsequent 12 months’s Summer Olympics in that metropolis.

“I know I didn’t do anything wrong and I know I’m clean,” Halep stated.

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)