"Seriously not out of style" - Serena Williams joins husband Alexis Ohanian in mocking dopers amid Simona Halep's 4-year ban

Serena Williams joined her husband Alexis Ohanian in seemingly mocking former World No. 1 Simona Halep, who was recently banned for four years for anti-doping violations.

Halep was previously suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for a banned substance called Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open. The 31-year-old's ban was further extended earlier this year due to irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport.

On Tuesday, September 12, the International Tennis Integrity Agency eventually handed her a four-year suspension following an independent tribunal's decision.

As the social media storm raged, Ohanian posted a throwback picture of himself wearing a D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) t-shirt under his jacket at the 2019 US Open, where Williams defeated Maria Sharapova.

The t-shirt was a subtle reference to Sharapova's doping suspension in 2016, which had earned her a two-year ban (later reduced to 15 months).

"Some fashion is timeless," Ohanian cheekily captioned the post, seemingly taunting Halep.

Ohanian was referring to their meeting in the 2019 Wimbledon final, where Halep defeated Williams in straight sets and denied Williams an eighth Wimbledon title and a 24th Grand Slam title.

Williams joined in on the fun and replied to her husband's tweet, writing:

"Seriously not out of style."

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Serena Williams and Simona Halep locked horns 12-times on the tour

Serena Williams and Simona Halep at the 2019 Wimbledon final

Serena Williams and Simona Halep are two of the most successful and dominant players in women’s tennis. They faced each other 12 times in their careers, with Williams holding a 10-2 advantage over Halep.

Their first encounter was at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships, where the American defeated 19-year-old Halep in three sets. Halep’s first win over Williams came in 2014 when she stunned the American 6-0, 6-2 in the round-robin stage of the WTA Finals.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner avenged that loss in the final of the same tournament, beating Halep 6-3, 6-0 to win her fifth WTA Finals trophy. Williams also won their next five meetings, including a Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2016 US Open, and their fourth round fixture at the 2019 Australian Open.

Williams also defeated Halep in the finals of Cincinnati (2015); the semifinals at Miami (2015); and the quarterfinals at Indian Wells (2016).

Halep’s second win over Williams was a historic one, as she claimed her first Wimbledon title and crushed Williams’ bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title. She won 6-2, 6-2 in front of an incredulous Centre Court.

Their most recent match was at the 2021 Australian Open quarterfinals, where Serena Williams prevailed 6-3, 6-3 to reach her 40th Grand Slam semifinal.