Ex-Wimbledon and French Open champion Simona Halep has been banned for four years for anti-doping rule violations.
The 31-year-old Romanian tennis star has been banned for two separate doping offences, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.
The former world number one had been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing positive for banned blood-booster Roxadustat at the US Open last year.
She was subsequently charged with irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport and both charges have been upheld following an independent tribunal.
The panel concluded Halep “had committed intentional anti-doping rule violations”.
Halep, who won Wimbledon in 2019 after beating Serena Williams in the final and triumphed at the French Open a year earlier, has denied wrongdoing.
She has denied knowingly taking the banned substance and said she had evidence to show that small amounts of the anaemia drug entered her system from a licensed supplement that was contaminated.
The four-year ban will last until 6 October 2026.
Halep defeated Serena Williams to win Wimbledon in 2019. Pic: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
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