Simona Halep (33 years old) retired from tennis at the beginning of the month, and the Australian press is raising a question in this regard.
Simona gave up tennis after announcing that her injuries no longer allow her to return to a competitive level.
However, Australians wonder if the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) might have also contributed to the premature withdrawal of our athlete.
The focus is back on how ITIA treated Halep, the 18-month provisional suspension pending a verdict, and then the four-year suspension requested in Simona's case.
"Did ITIA ruin Simona Halep's career?" headlines the Australian press.
The treatment Simona received from ITIA and the way she was put "on hold" for a year and a half awaiting a final verdict have led Australians to refer to Simona's doping scandal as the "nail in the coffin."
Impressive career for Simona Halep
Simona Halep had an impressive career in tennis. She won two Grand Slam titles, Roland Garros 2018 and Wimbledon 2019, played in three other finals (two at Roland Garros and one at the Australian Open). Our athlete was the world No. 1 in the WTA rankings for 64 weeks.
In 2022, Simona Halep tested positive for Roxadustat after a match in the first round of the US Open against Daria Snigur on August 29. Since then, a dark period began for Simona. ITIA initially imposed a four-year suspension on the Romanian, which was reduced to just nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Halep returned to tennis in March 2024 after a year and a half on the sidelines, provisionally suspended, awaiting ITIA's verdict. Since then, Simona Halep has played six matches and won only one, against Arina Rodionova in Hong Kong in October 2024.