Simona Halep provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substance
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Simona Halep was provisionally suspended for testing positive for a banned substance after being eliminated in her first-round tie against Garbine Muguruza on Thursday.
The Swiss star was pulled from her tournament by drug tests after she failed a drug test for the banned substance meldonium, which she was taking during her final match.
The news was announced at the end of the match when Muguruza was given her second straight 6-3, 6-2 win over Carla Suarez Navarro. In the first match she had given Halep a lesson in resilience by beating her in both sets of the third and fourth sets before beating the five-time finalist in five sets.
Despite being eliminated in the first round of the French Open, Halep said she will fight for her world title, with a statement from her that she will be able to attend the Indian Wells tournament on Tuesday morning.
A statement on her Twitter feed said: “I am very, very sorry to the people who have been affected by this news. I have always played my best tennis, and always will play my best tennis.”
It added: “Unfortunately, for the good of sport we need to take the necessary action to ensure that things do not get in the way of our game.”
Halep has been the world’s best women’s singles player since January 2014 and reached the quarter-finals at this year’s Australian Open.
The Swiss top seed has been troubled by injury in recent seasons and is currently ranked number one in the rankings.
Simona Halep was provisionally suspended for testing positive for a banned substance after being eliminated in her first-round tie against Garbine Muguruza on Thursday.
The news was announced at the end of the match when Muguruza was given her second straight 6-3, 6-2 win over Carla Suarez Navarro. In the first match she had given Halep a lesson in resilience by beating her in both sets of the third and fourth sets before beating the five-time finalist in five sets.
Despite being eliminated in the first round of the French Open, Halep said she will fight for her world title, with a statement from her that she will be able
