"It's not okay to help a player who was banned for doping" - When Simona Halep spoke against Maria Sharapova's tennis comeback after suspension

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Tuesday, September 12, imposed a four-year ban on Simona Halep for two separate anti-doping rule violations.

Halep has been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat, a substance that helps in creating red blood cells. It is included in the list of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) prohibited substances.

In 2016, former player Maria Sharapova found herself in a similar situation when she faced an initial two-year ban for testing positive for meldonium. Her suspension was later reduced to 15 months.

The Russian's suspension ended in April 2017, right before the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was about to begin, and the tournament organizers decided to give her a wildcard entry.

The decision didn't go down well with a number of players on the tour, forcing them to criticize those who helped Sharapova. Among these players was Halep herself, who stated that it would be wrong for kids and young players to see a player, who was found doping, getting a direct entry in an event.

The Romanian had also stated that she didn't support the tournament director's decision.

"For the kids, for the young players, it is not okay to help a player with a wild card who was banned for doping. It is not about Maria Sharapova here, but it is about all the players that are found doped. I cannot support what the tournament director did, but also, I cannot judge," she said. (via usatoday)

Of the few players who came out in support of Sharapova at the time, the most notable were Karolina Pliskova and Kim Clijsters.

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"Simona would not have done such a thing even if you had cut off her hand" - Simona Halep's ex-husband Toni Iuruc

Simona Halep married her boyfriend Toni Iuruc last year. However, the marriage ended around 11 months ago after they got divorced in September 2022. After hearing the news of the tennis player's doping charges, Iuruc expressed his astonishment.

In an interview with Fanatik, the billionaire stated that there was no way Halep would cheat. He added that there must have been a mistake with the test.

"I'm shocked, I haven't recovered for an hour, I'm shocked and shocked again," Iuruc said. "I cannot believe that. I've known Simona for three years, of which at least two in the circuit, and I swear to you that this girl, my ex-wife, is obsessed with one thing — honor."

"You can take anything from Simona, if you took away her honor, her fairness, you kill her. She is no longer human. I don't know what happened there with that test, but it's probably a mistake. Simona would not have done such a thing even if you had cut off her hand to stop playing tennis," he added.