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Romanian tennis player Sorana Cirstea says she has no doubt that Simona Halep is a clean athlete. On Friday, the ITIA announced that the sample Halep provided during the US Open showed traces of the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat.
After the news broke out, many were shocked about the fact that it was Halep that tested positive for a prohibited substance. "Although we may not be the best of friends, I know Simona (Halep) well enough for decades to strongly believe that she would never willingly and in good faith touch any doping substance.
The sport of tennis represents fair play and puts rivalries aside. She is a great player that I believe won through her own merits," Cirstea said in a message posted on her Instagram Story.
Cirstea throws her support behind Halep
Just minutes after the ITIA made their announcement, Halep released a statement.
In her statement, Halep insisted that she was shocked about the news and also claimed that she would never cheat in any way possible. Also, Halep promised she would everything in her power to clear her name. “I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life.
Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed. I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that, sooner or later, the truth will come out.
It’s not about the titles or money. It’s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years," Halep said in a statement.