TENNIS
Halep speaks out about the Sinner case: “I was judged differently”
The Romanian tennis player, who was punished for doping by the ITIA, broke her silence on Jannik Sinner’s two positive tests that went unpunished.
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has broken her silence on Jannik Sinner’s two positive tests for banned substances. The Italian, number one in the ATP rankings, returned a double positive test for clostebol - an anabolic steroid which is similar in chemical composition to testosterone.
Sinner was not sanctioned by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after the latter accepted his explanation that the positive test came into his body from an ointment that his now ex-physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi used to treat a wound on his hand.
Jannik has since confirmed that he is no longer working with his fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, and his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, the two main people responsible after the investigation by the ITIA and the independent panel of experts.
Halep surprised at decision to excuse Sinner
The Sinner case also brought to light another positive doping test that also shocked tennis and which, in this case, did end in a sanction: that of the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, who was punished by the ITIA with a four-year ban that the TAD later reduced to nine months for testing positive for the substance Roxadustat, detected in a urine sample collected during the 2022 US Open.
Halep spoke out on Saturday at an event in Romania about what happened to Sinner, saying that the Italian was treated very differently to her and asked that all doping cases be judged in the same way.
“I don’t think it’s a question of defending myself. I think it’s something very clear and visible. I was judged differently and I suffered a lot. I waited a long time and it didn’t seem fair to me. I think all athletes should be judged and treated equally, regardless of whether they are number one or number 200. I don’t think what happened is fair. But it’s something I’d like to leave behind and get on with my life because life is wonderful.”
The former world No. 1 has served her nine-month suspension and is now able to resume her career although she hasn’t played an official match since here opening round defeat to the Ukrainian Daria Snigur at the 2022 US Open.