Simona Halep brought up painful memories of her doping suspension when Iga Swiatek received only a one-month ban for a doping violation involving contaminated non-prescription medication (melatonin). Halep, who went through a tough 18-month suspension and faced significant career setbacks, took to Instagram to express her disappointment at what she sees as an unfair difference in how their cases were handled by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
Halep was temporarily suspended in October 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat, a banned substance. Despite proving that the trace amounts in her system were from a contaminated supplement, Halep faced a four-year ban in September 2023, later reduced to nine months following an appeal. The extended process and severe initial punishment deeply affected Halep both personally and professionally.
In a stark contrast, despite being the world No. 1, Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in August 2024 after taking a contaminated melatonin supplement from Poland. Unlike Halep, Swiatek’s case was quickly resolved.
The ITIA justified the reduced penalty for Swiatek based on evidence of contamination and low levels of the substance in her system. However, Halep argues that her case had similar circumstances, including contamination, but resulted in significantly different outcomes.
“I wonder, why such a big difference in treatment and judgment? I can’t find a logical answer,” wrote Halep on social media after learning about Swiatek’s mild ban.
“They really wanted to ruin the last years of my career, something I never imagined could be desired. I have always believed in fairness and kindness in this sport,” she reflected on the challenging period in her career.
Halep shared the toll the suspension took on her: “I lost two years of my career, many sleepless nights, thoughts, anxiety, unanswered questions… but I achieved justice,” she wrote. Yet, she questioned why justice was delayed and came at a high cost.
“How can ITIA have completely different approaches in identical cases that happened around the same time, to my disadvantage?” questioned Halep, calling out ITIA for trying to destroy her despite the evidence.
Halep’s criticism extended beyond ITIA to the WTA and the players’ council, accusing them of overlooking her struggle and failing to reinstate her ranking despite the reduced ban.
