Halep's appeal against doping ban set to begin
Written by I Dig SportsHalep was banned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) following two separate doping infractions.
She tested positive for roxadustat after the US Open in 2022, while irregularities were also found in her biological passport in a separate anti-doping breach that year.
Halep, who would be unable to play professional tennis until 6 October 2026 if the ban is upheld, insists she is innocent and has claimed experts found she had accidentally taken a contaminated supplement.
However, the ITIA said that while the tribunal accepted Halep's argument she had taken a contaminated supplement, they decided that would not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found in her urine sample.
Roxadustat is an anti-anaemia drug which stimulates the production of red blood cells in the body.
Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, was ranked number one in the world in 2017 and 2018 and has earned 32.2m in prize money.