Days After Ray of Hope, Bad Luck Clouds 31-Year-Old Simona Halep as Tennis Career Hangs in the Balance With Stringent ITIA Announcement

Life has been cruel for Simona Halep fans in the last ten months or so. After winning the title in Montreal, things went downhill for the Romanian tennis icon. She faced an embarrassing round one exit at the US Open against Daria Snigur. But that was nothing compared to what followed next for Halep and her fans.

On October 21, 2022, Simona Halep announced to the world that she had been suspended by the ITF after testing positive for roxadustat, an anti-anemia medication. Since then, the two-time major champion has been in a constant battle for justice. Her case hasn’t seen any progress but a recent false alarm suggested she could return soon. However, the false alarm has been debunked by the ITIA.

Simona Halep is stuck in a rabbit hole

Recently, the US Open entry lists were out which included Simona Halep’s name. Fans were curious as to whether a decision was made with respect to her ban. Her presence on the entry list gave them some sort of hope. But, The International Tennis Integrity Agency made sure that the hope was short-lived by launching a new statement regarding Halep.

According to Antena 3 CNN, ITIA’s statement read, “We promise you that no decision has been made available to anyone yet. In the US Open roster, it is clearly marked as provisionally suspended, and therefore, if it remains suspended, it will be withdrawn. If it’s not, she can compete.”

The wait continues for Halep as this will mark the fourth consecutive slam she would miss out on. ITF hasn’t been cooperating at the same time and she had in fact taken matters into her own hands a few weeks ago.

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Simona Halep recently visited the London court

A few weeks ago, Halped gave up on ITF after the federation persistently delayed her hearings. She flew to London and presented her case in the court. Her case was accepted and it felt like there could be some rapid progression in the case. She also risked a two-year ban at the same time should she be found guilty.

Halep was expected to receive a verdict within two weeks. However, it has been over three weeks but the Romanian has received no response from the court.

Do you think Halep can get back on the court anytime soon? Let us know in the comments.

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