7 Days After Serena Williams’ Vicious Shade, Simona Halep Finally Breaks Her Silence as Her Controversial Doping?Saga?Rages?On

The controversy surrounding Simona Halep‘s ban from the sport seems to have heated up. The Romanian player recently received a 4-year ban from the sport after ITIA found traces of ‘Roxadustat’, a banned substance, in one of her test samples. Since then, the Romanian player has had to face a huge backlash from the fans and even her colleagues alongside whom she competed. Furthering the debate, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams also joined in as she gave her honest opinion on the ongoing matter.

However, unaware of the American’s remarks, the Romanian player came up with her own remarks. In an interview, Simona Halep spoke on the ongoing debate and gave her stance on the same.

Serena Williams took a dig at Simona Halep amid doping ban

In the wake of the controversial four-year ban announcement for Halep, Serena Williams seemed to take a dig at her. Simona Halep finally broke her silence on the matter. On Tuesday, Serena Williams took to social media, posting the cryptic message, “8 is a better number,” in what many interpreted as a dig at Halep. This online exchange reignited memories of their historic clash in the Wimbledon singles final of 2019, where Halep emerged as a winner. Adding fuel to the fire, Halep hired Patrick Mouratoglou, who was once Serena’s long-time coach and owner of the renowned Mouratoglou Academy.

Halep, in response to the jab from Williams, admitted that she hadn’t seen the post on Twitter, but she did acknowledge the reactions it had stirred within the tennis community. ?I think everyone has the right to judge me because the tribunal decided that I have the fault here. Someone told me today that those players who are hating on me because I beat them,? she told Front Office Sports.

READ MORE: Stunned by Serena Williams? 33-Year-Old Best Friend?s Hidden Strength, American Tennis Star Frances Tiafoe Bows Down to the WTA Legend in a Warm US Open Moment

With tensions rising and rivalries intensifying, the tennis world eagerly anticipates the next chapter in this intriguing saga. However, in the interview, Halep also cleared the allegations by saying that the players are free to judge her.

Simona Halep says there’s no proof of doping against her

Last week, Simona Halep was handed a 4-year doping ban which prevented her from participating in any competition. However, this came as a shocker to the Romanian, who believed that her statements were disregarded in the deliberations. She went ahead to mention that the team continued building on scenarios and handed her a ban despite her blood report being normal.

?I could not believe that they suspended me for four years when we found the contamination and my blood was totally normal. They didn?t find anything bad in my blood. It?s crazy that they made this decision with everything [her legal team presented]. They judged me on scenarios. There is no proof. It?s just insane,? said Halep while expressing her disbelief at the verdict.

Thus, the controversy surrounding Simona Halep has come to great light after former players have stepped in to splash their opinions on the instance. However, fighting against the decision, Halep believes that justice has not been served to her. Further developments would reveal the matter more clearly, as Halep has announced her decision to appeal in Switzerland.

WATCH THIS STORY: New Baby Brings Glorious Fortune to 41-Year-Old Serena Williams Already as $300,000,000 Exorbitant News Puts Her on the Pinnacle of Sporting Success Stories