Amidst Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek’s Doping Saga, Simona Halep Receives Firm Support From Ex-Pro

“I stand and ask myself, why is there such a big difference in treatment and judgment?” wrote Simona Halep in an Instagram post last month while reacting to Iga Swiatek testing positive for doping. While Halep got banned for four years, a period which was reduced to nine months, Iga received just a month away from tennis. Halep’s reaction also ignited rumors of a preferential treatment for Swiatek, just like Jannik Sinner. Now, a former ATP pro has come forward while standing on the side of the Romanian.

In an out-of-competition sample, in August, Iga was found positive with Trimetazidine (TMZ) – a prohibited substance. However, she revealed that she wasn’t aware of its presence in her medication, Melatonin. The reasoning eventually convinced the ITIA’s panel. It considered her level of fault at the lowest end for “No significant fault or negligence.” She was handed a provisional suspension from September 12 to October 4. And eight days additional, which just ended on December 4. Halep wasn’t happy with this treatment. Now, a former tennis player, Nico Pereira, isn’t either.!

During an episode of the Tennis Channel Inside In podcast, dated December 5, former Venezuelan player touched upon top players Sinner and Swiatek’s doping controversy, which as per him is “not a good look for our sport”. For the unversed, Jannik didn’t even get a ban despite testing positive. Giving his reaction, Nico said that “the coincidence that the two number ones, at one point or another, this year, are the ones that got away, so to speak. It’s a tough one to swallow for people not scratching beyond the surface, so it’s not a good look for our sport.”

“I believe that they’re justified positives in both cases, but what happened with Simona Halep is just not fair. What happened to Nico Jari is just not fair,” he added further. To put Pereira’s latter statement into perspective, the then-No. 89 Nicolas Jarry had also received an 11-month suspension back in 2020. He tested positive for a banned substance during 2019’s Davis Cup. “It has been months of deep pain, and although sometimes everything that happened feels a little unfair, I am trying to learn as much as I can from this situation,” Jarry had said, per ESPN. Further, Pereira addressed the equality in protocols.

Furthermore, Pereira said, “It’s protocols, it’s being uniform and sending a clear message that it doesn’t matter the ranking because the test is only a number, it doesn’t say a name. And it’s only discovered a month later. We have to trust the system. Unfortunately, the system has not been giving us too much to go on of late. But for the game, it’s certainly not a good look.”

Meanwhile, it seems like Simona’s anger over Iga’s case is not going to die down anytime sooner. She has targeted the Polish star once again!

Simona Halep makes a wild claim on Iga Swiatek following the doping controversy

The Romanian player is still going through the feeling of injustice as she revealed her emotions in an interview with The Telegraph. Not to mention that she came up with a bold claim on the Pole. It’s related to the fact that Iga got to play two major events last month – WTA Finals and BJK Cup – despite serving an active ban. Clearly, Simona isn’t happy about it.

“The woman player – I don’t want to give name, you know about who I’m talking about – she had the three-week suspension, then she played two events, and then she gets again suspension. What is this? I mean, I don’t understand. So I feel it is not fair”, she said. Last month, too, she revealed her frustration and disappointment regarding the treatment given to Iga.

In an Instagram post, dated November 29, Halep wrote, “I have always believed in good, I have believed in the fairness of this sport, I have believed in kindness. The injustice that was done to me was painful, is painful, and maybe will always be painful. How is it possible that in identical cases that happened at about the same time (of the season), ITIA has completely different approaches, to my detriment?”

It’s clear that the former World No.1 and two-time Grand Slam winner won’t leave this issue anytime soon. It will be interesting to see how the entire situation ends up going forward.