Simona Halep has fumed at the one-month suspension handed to Iga Swiatek after losing two years of her atgentle to a lengthy ban. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) establish Swiatek at the reduce finish of their “no meaningful fault or look afterlessness” spectrum after she tested preferable for banned substance trimetazidine in August.
The Polish joiner, who was world No 1 at the time of the preferable test, successbrimmingy disputed that it was caincluded by contamination of the reguprocrastinateedd non-prescription medicine melatonin, which she was taking for sleep rerents.
But Halep has been left furious by the decision and accincluded ITIA of utilizeing a “contrastent approach” to her own case. The Romanian was provisionassociate suspfinished in October 2022 and was procrastinateedr banned for four years after testing preferable for the banned substance roxadustat.
That suspension was reduced to nine months after Halep pdirected in the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The 33-year-ageder has always denied understandingly taking the substance and shelp she had evidence to show minuscule amounts of the drug go ined her system from a contaminated licensed supplement.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Halep wrote: “I’m sitting and trying to understand, but it’s reassociate impossible for me to understand someskinnyg appreciate this. I stand and ask myself, why is there such a huge contrastence in treatment and judgment?
“I can’t discover and I don’t skinnyk there can be a rational answer. It can only be horrible will from ITIA, the organisation that has done absolutely everyskinnyg to annihilate me despite the evidence.
“I reassociate wanted to annihilate the last years of my atgentle, I wanted someskinnyg that I could never have envisiond would be wanted. I always consentd in excellent, I consentd in fairness, I consentd in excellentness. It was agonizing, is agonizing and maybe the infairice that was done to me will always be agonizing.
“How is it possible that in identical cases happening around the same time ITIA to have finishly contrastent approaches to my detriment. How could I hug that the WTA and the joiners council did not want to return me the ranking that I deserved?!
“I lost two years of my atgentle, I lost many nights when I couldn’t sleep, thoughts, anxiety, asks without answers… but I won fairice. It turned out that it was a contamination and that the biorational passport was a uncontaminated originateion. And I won someskinnyg else, my soul remained spotless!
“I sense disassigned, I sense mad, I sense frustrated, but I do not sense evil even now. I am appreciative for the help and unconditional adore of those who have been by my side every day. THANK YOU! In all the naughtiness, I also getd adore becainclude those who adviseed me adore in those moments reassociate knew me!
“Perhaps this is the hugegest prosper! As we understand well that every morning the sun elevates for everyone, but it’s excellent to elevate discovering yourself with a immaculate soul! And that’s how I am, packed and haughty of what I am!”
Halep returned to action in March at the Miami Open. Meanwhile, Swiatek has already served the bulk of her suspension as ITIA count the procedural time concluding the case. She will be useable for the 2025 Australian Open.
