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As a highly regarded athlete, Simona Halep, who previously held the top ranking for 64 weeks and won two grand slam titles, has typically chosen to work quietly and stay out of the public eye. However, all attention will be on her this week as she comes back to the world of professional tennis after a 19-month absence at the Miami Open. This comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) shortened her four-year suspension for intentional use of performance-enhancing drugs to nine months, determining that she was not intentionally doping and permitting her immediate return to competition.
The Romanian player will kick off their Miami campaign with an exciting first round match against Paula Badosa, a one-time world number two. Should they emerge victorious, they will face off against the top-ranked player, Aryna Sabalenka, who is also the current Australian Open champion.
As Halep returns to play and restart her career, there are still unknown aspects surrounding the differences between the initial tribunal held by Sport Resolutions and the conclusion reached by Cas. The detailed decision from Cas has not yet been made public.
After being defeated in the opening round of the 2022 US Open, Halep was found to have roxadustat in her system and her case was held up due to inconsistencies found in her athlete biological passport (ABP). This passport records information from past blood tests and identifies any abnormalities that could indicate the use of blood doping.
Last year, experts from Halep’s team and the International Tennis Integrity Agency conducted individual tests on the keto MCT collagen supplement, which had been mentioned by her team as being taken by the player. However, their results differed on whether the supplement contained roxadustat. After thorough examination, the independent tribunal determined that even if the supplement was contaminated, it could not account for the high levels of roxadustat found in her sample. As a result, she was issued two separate four-year bans for roxadustat use and irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP).
The Cas panel ultimately determined that the roxadustat found in her sample was not deliberately taken and, as a result, dismissed the ABP charge. They also hinted at their unique approach in making this decision, citing their reliance on a blood sample given by Halep on 9 September 2022 following a nasal surgery that was unrelated to the case.
Although Halep has been in the spotlight, her situation is just one of many where the first tribunal and Cas have disagreed. These two expert tribunals are likely considering the same evidence and arguments, yet often come to vastly different conclusions. This also doesn’t seem to be a pattern of the initial tribunal issuing strict penalties that are later overturned on appeal by Cas. In recent years, Cas has ruled in favor of athletes such as Halep, Mikael Ymer, Marin Cilic, Maria Sharapova, and Sara Errani in their appeals.
Ymer, a player ranked in the top 100, went through a trial conducted by an unbiased committee in 2022 when he was accused of failing to comply with “whereabouts” regulations due to missing three tests within a year. Ymer refuted the charge of the final missed test and the initial ruling found him not at fault, resulting in no penalty. However, after an appeal by the International Tennis Federation, Ymer was suspended for 18 months by Cas. Following the decision made last July, he declared his retirement from the sport at the age of 24.
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Due to discrepancies between the initial tribunal and Cas, the trustworthiness of the anti-doping process in professional tennis has been compromised.
After her doping ban was reduced upon appeal by Cas, Sharapova’s return to professional tennis in 2017 was met with a lot of drama. Now aged 32, Halep is also attempting to rebuild her career and her presence on the court may not create the same level of excitement. Despite this, Halep is well-respected among her peers and has received a lot of support and sympathy from other players during her 19-month absence from competition.
Iga Swiatek is aiming to replicate her success from two years ago by achieving a second “Sunshine Double” and reclaiming the No. 1 spot. With Novak Djokovic dropping out, Carlos Alcaraz now has a stronger chance of achieving this feat for the first time.
