Simona Halep responds to Caroline Wozniacki wild card comments after Miami Open exit - 'I'm not a cheater'
/dnl.tntsports.co.uk/sd/img/placeholder/tnt_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 20/03/2024 at 13:15 GMT
Simona Halep made her comeback to tennis on Monday, losing to Paula Badosa at the Miami Open. Halep was handed a wild card following an absence from the tour due to a anti-doping violation. An initial four-year ban was reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to nine months, clearing the way for her return. The Romanian has responded to comments from Caroline Wozniacki on her wild card.
'I'm just enjoying my time a lot more' - Osaka thrilled with win over Samsonova
Video credit: SNTV
Simona Halep says she is "not a cheater" as she responded to comments from Caroline Wozniacki that players who have "tested positive for doping" should not be awarded wild cards when they return to the sport.
Halep made her competitive comeback on Monday at the Miami Open, losing in three sets to Paula Badosa having been awarded a wild card to the tournament.
Her previous match before that had been in the first round of the US Open back in August 2022, as an anti-doping violation after that encounter .
She was handed a four-year ban in September 2023 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), however on appeal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the length of the suspension to nine months, with their panel concluding that the Romanian "bore no significant fault or negligence" and that her "anti-doping rule violations were not intentional."
Wozniacki, when questioned about Halep's return in Florida, said: "I've been very outspoken in the past how I feel about doping and all of that.
"I have always wanted a clean sport, fair for everybody. I think it's definitely still my opinion.
"This is not directly at Simona, but if someone purposely cheats, if someone has tested positive for doping it's my personal belief that I don't think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards.
"If you want to come back, and it's been a mistake, I understand, you should work your way up from the bottom."
Countering those comments, Halep pointed to the CAS findings.
The Romanian said: "I didn't do anything wrong. I didn't cheat. I didn't dope.
"So it's better if we read the decision from CAS that it was a contaminated supplement, it wasn't doping. I never had something to do with doping. I never doped, so I'm not a cheater.
"So, thank you to the tournament for giving me the wild card and to have the possibility to play in such a big tournament.
"It was great to be back and only one person being negative about me is not that important because I have hundreds of people that are giving me love, so I will take that.”
Halep's comeback appeared to be going well when she stormed to a one-set lead over Spain's Badosa, taking it 6-1.
However Badosa forged her way back into the encounter, taking the next two sets 6-4 6-3.
Of her return to the match court, the 32-year-old Halep said: "Well, it felt really good. I had emotions, but positive emotions.
"To see the crowd supporting me so nice gave me a lot of energy and the level of tennis was pretty good. Unexpected, I think for most of the people.
"For this high level like Paula played, I think I did a good job today. So, I'm happy with first match coming back."
Badosa is set to take on No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka in the second round in Miami on Friday.
In action on Wednesday at the Hard Rock Stadium are Naomi Osaka, Sloane Stephens and Karolina Pliskova.
- - -
Stream top tennis action, including the 2024 French Open, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement