2024-03-21 09:41:18
The return of former world number one Simona Halep after her doping scandal has lost the stamp of a sensational story. He became the object of contention. Another former tennis queen took on the Romanian champion at her start in Miami: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki. She argued that she saw no reason why doping sinners should receive wild cards for tournaments.
Who would have expected that the first press conference of the thirty-two-year-old Romanian woman would be filled with euphoric questions about the return, for which she had been waiting for a year and a half, would be wrong.
Not only that, she lost her first battle on the circuit in Miami, when she could not manage a three-set duel with the Spaniard Paula Badosa.
She also had to hear what Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacka had to say about the granting of her wild card.
“It’s nothing against Simona personally, but if someone intentionally cheats, if they have a positive doping test, then in my opinion they shouldn’t get wild cards,” declared Wozniacka, who now also has no ranking to start in Miami after her maternity break. but she also used free tickets from the organizers.
Halep hasn’t played for a year and a half after testing positive for the banned substance roxadustat, which stimulates the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells.
She got into her body by using a product from the Canadian company Quantum Nutrition, which she is now suing.
She received a wild card into the event in Miami after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced her doping ban from four years to nine months, which had long since passed, allowing her to return to the courts.
“Why does he say that? After all, I’m not a cheater, I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t dope. Read the CAS decision, it says that it was the use of a contaminated product, not doping,” Halepová became angry.
Wozniacka also had her opinion on these arguments. “If you want to go back, if it was a mistake, I understand, but you should work your way back from the bottom,” she added.
However, Halepová does not intend to derive any opinions from such a radical opinion.
“If one person has a negative attitude towards me, it doesn’t matter. There are hundreds of people who express their love and support to me. I thank the organizers very much for the opportunity to play here, it was great to be back,” admitted the Romanian.
She says she herself would be happy if her case contributed to greater awareness among young athletes, who should be more careful about what gets into their bodies through the use of various supplements.
“My advice is: check and check. It’s hard to think of anything else. It can happen to anyone at any time and it’s overwhelming. I don’t wish it on anyone,” she added.