Amid Simona Halep’s Fight to Be Proven Innocent, Rare Display of Comfort Comes Her Way as Martina Navratilova Sends Out Honest Message

Simona Halep has seen massive ups and downs in her tennis career. A two-time Grand Slam champion and a former World Number 1, the 31-year-old tennis star’s career has gone off the rails recently. Earlier this month, Halep was banned for four years for violating doping regulations and irregularities found in her biological passport. Although she has appealed the ban, it is potentially a career-ending blow for her. Amidst the blazing flames of the controversy, tennis legend Martina Navratilova weighed in with her valuable opinion.

Navratilova is very active in the sporting world in general and the tennis circuit in particular. She often shares her views about various events in sports worldwide. Here’s what she had to say about Halep and the unfortunate situation that the Romanian star has found herself in of late.

Martina Navratilova’s empathetic message for Simona Halep

Hours earlier, the 66-year-old tennis legend took to Twitter where she talked about Halep’s doping saga. While the former World Number 1 found the ITIA judgment weighing heavily against her, Navratilova backed Halep by giving her the benefit of the doubt.

Talking about it, Navratilova said, “I always wanted to give benefit of the doubt to the athlete. The drug thing stinks as it is the only court where you are judged guilty until you can prove your innocence. As an athlete- even if legal- with the side effects from this drug I can’t see anyone wanting to touch it…”

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Following the announcement of her four-year ban, Halep broke down and gave her point of view on the situation, trying to prove her innocence. However, she has a right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and she will be exercising her right. While many players have stood beside Halep during this difficult time for her, a few have also taken a stand against her. Serena Williams was one such star who took a dig at Halep.

Serena Williams’ snide comment on the Halep doping controversy

As soon as Halep’s doping ban was announced, it spread like wildfire on social media. Posts on the news went viral and invited comments from across the tennis world. Serena was also spotted in that group, as she recollected her tennis battle against Halep.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion wrote, “8 is a better number,” indicating that she might have had eight Wimbledon titles if not for that loss against Halep in the 2019 Wimbledon final.

With the Romanian star already 31 years old, her best years are clearly behind her. Moreover, the four-year ban has served as a massive blow to her for her future in the sport. It remains to be seen if Halep’s ban is overturned.

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