Simona Halep banned for doping; What is roxadustat and what’s it used for?
The former No. 1 now faces a lengthy ban for a substance that she’s adamant she had no knowledge of. What’s it for and how could it help an athlete?
In the wake of the four-year ban that she received as a result of failing a drug test at the US Open last year, the two-time tennis grand slam champion continues to fight for her truth. In the meantime, the focus has fallen squarely on the substance at the center of it all, Roxadustat.
Simona Halep is in ‘no man’s land’
As you know by now, the former world number one, Simona Halep received a significant ban from the International Tennis Integrity Agency and as a result will next be eligible to compete on October 7th, 2026. Halep’s ban of course comes after she tested positive for the anti-anaemia drug and banned substance, Roxadustat at the US Open in October 2022. The Romanian star is the highest-profile tennis player to fail a drug test since Maria Sharapova six years ago.
What is Roxadustat? What is it used for? How can it help athletes?
Roxadustat is an oral medicine used to treat anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. It is the first in a new class of medicines called HIF-PH inhibitors (prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor,) that promotes erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production, through improved iron absorption and mobilization, increased endogenous production of erythropoietin, and downregulation of hepcidin.
Ok, let’s make that simple. The drug is mainly meant to help patients who suffer from kidney disease and are on dialysis or people on chemotherapy. One of the functions of Roxadustat - as mentioned above - is to increase red blood cell production. That means it increases the amount of oxygen available to the body, something that as you can imagine, is of particular interest to athletes given that it can help with endurance.
What lies ahead for Simona Halep?
At this time, it remains unclear as to what comes next for the 31-year-old, but what is very much certain is that her fall from grace has divided the tennis world. There are those who have immediately condemned her, there are those who have jumped to her defense, and there’s also the space in between which is the reality that Halep intends to appeal the decision as is her right, and by the looks of things, she’s got the support she needs: