"Chris Evert is a wonderful lady, she knows how to support someone in trouble": Simona Halep thanks American for having her back amid drug suspension

Simona Halep lavished praise on Chris Evert for her support when she was caught in the doping scandal. The Romanian called the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion a "very special lady".

Halep was involved in a controversial doping scandal in 2022, as she was given a four-year suspension from tennis. However, she appealed the decision in 2024, and her case was fought in the Court of Abritration for Sport.

Halep's ban was reduced to nine months, which meant that she was cleared to return to tennis immediately.

One person who often supported the Romanian during her doping controversy was Chris Evert, who took to Twitter on several occasions to reiterate her innocence.

Simona Halep lavished praise on the 18-time Grand Slam champion while talking to Tennis Channel's Jon Wertheim. The Romanian called Chris Evert a "very special lady" and said that the American messaged her a lot in addition to her public support.

Halep also expressed her gratitude towards Evert, calling her a wonderful lady who knew how to support someone who was in trouble.

"Yes, a very special lady, Chris Evert. She was messaging me so much and also publicly she was supporting me. Before CAS, she sent me a message, after, she sent me a message.

"She's a wonderful lady and of course, I want to thank her because she knows how to support someone that is in trouble, and that means a lot about a person," Halep said as quoted by Tennis.com.

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Simona Halep: "I'm very smiley these days"

Simona Halep in action at the Miami Open

In the aforementioned interview, Halep also spoke about how she feels presently, which is one of relief.

"I'm very smiley these days and I feel, as I said, relieved. I feel the freedom that I probably, I didn't realize this feeling before what happened. I was always intention. I was always focusing to be the best and to how to do the best things to be great in tennis," the Romanian said.

The 32-year-old also said that while it would be tough for her to get her rhythm back, she would enjoy the sport more.

"Now I see different. I'm older, of course, I have some titles behind, so I have experience and now I see more the pleasure for tennis. Of course it's going to be tough to get the rhythm back, but I enjoy more, which is I think the best thing right now for me," Halep said.

The Romanian made her return to tennis at the Miami Open, where she faced Paula Badosa in the first round. She started well, winning the first set 6-1 before the Spaniard won 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.

Simona Halep most recently competed at a WTA 125k event in Paris and faced the United States' McCartney Kessler in the opening round. The former World No. 1 won the first set 7-5 before retiring during the second.

Halep will not be competing at the French Open, as she didn't receive a wildcard for the tournament's main draw or even the qualifiers. She's ranked 1149th in the WTA rankings.