Simona Halep Tells The Ap That Following Her Doping Ban Appeal, She Was Apprehensive About Returning To Tennis
File: On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, in Lausanne, Switzerland, before a hearing at the International Court of Arbitration for Sport, Simona Halep, the two-time Grand Slam champion, is surrounded by the media.
After successfully reducing a doping penalty on appeal, Simona Halep resorted to her mother and made a small confession last month while traveling to Florida for the Miami Open, where she would be competing in a professional tennis match for the first time in one and a half years. Halep recalls telling her mother, “I’m terribly nervous.”
Simona Halep turned to her mother and made a small confession as they were traveling to Florida for the Miami Open. This was her first time competing in a professional tennis match for one and a half years after a doping ban was lowered on appeal.
The two-time Grand Slam champion Halep remembers telling her mother, “I’m terribly nervous.”
Whether it would be on or off the court, she had no idea what to expect. In a video interview with The Associated Press from her home in Bucharest, Romania, Halep stated that she feels more at ease in her surroundings but is unsure of how close she can get to her former self as an athlete as she gets ready to resume what she dubbed her career’s “second part.”
“It seemed as though I had no idea what to anticipate from individuals in Miami.” How it will be to be back in the changing room. The dining area for players.
Halep, who has tournaments in Oeiras, Portugal, next week and Madrid the week after, said, “All this routine that I didn’t do for almost two years looked fresh for me.”
“And once I got to the tournament site, the love I felt from the officials, the security, everyone in the area, and the players helped me just forget about everything.”
And it seemed as though I was never away,” the 32-year-old Halep, who has been training under new coach Carlos Martinez, remarked.
“There was a wonderful energy and sensation, and I was genuinely delighted that I could once more participate in tennis and this wonderful sport.” In my opinion, it was a wonderful event that exceeded my expectations.
And this gave me the impression that, all right, I should go back and try my hardest to see how excellent I still can be.
Halep used to be one of the greatest at what she did around the globe. She was aware of it. And so did everyone else.
According to the WTA rankings, Halep peaked at No. 1 in 2017 (now ranked No. 1,144). As did her performance: prior to making waves by triumphing at the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019 (when she defeated Serena Williams in the final), Halep finished second in three significant tournaments.
She finds it more difficult to know today what she can do with a racket.
Even though her lone encounter thus far—a three-set loss to former No. 2 Paula Badosa in Miami on March 19—was encouraging, there are still not enough matches.
Concerns regarding her level of fitness, which is crucial to her style of play. Even though she was prohibited from competing, she struggled to stay motivated because she had no idea when or even if she would be allowed to compete again.
“This has been a difficult time. Though challenging to handle at first, things have changed,” Halep remarked. She laughed at this point. “And I feel relief, I feel freedom, and yep, I am back in business.”
Upon receiving a four-year suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency for testing positive for the prohibited blood-boosting substance Roxadustat at the 2022 U.S. Open, when she lost in the first round, she believed her career may be over.
However, in March, the Court of Arbitration for Sport declared that Halep’s test result was accidental and the product of a tainted supplement; the ban was shortened to nine months, which was longer than the amount of time she had previously been out of competition, allowing her to return to competitions right away.
“The WTA fully supports our anti-doping program and all of its associated procedures. Steve Simon, the leader of the women’s tour, stated, “I’m quite supportive of her return because it’s an independent process that we support—the findings that emerge from it.”
“I’ve sent her a note, but I haven’t talked to her or seen her yet. It’s wonderful to have her back, and I want to watch Simona play some fantastic tennis.
Halep did not feel like watching much tennis on TV when she was banned from playing and, as she pointed out, from attending events.
Who gave her support during the uncertainty? kin. a few close friends. She also mentioned some of the players that have supported her in the past and now, including Petra Kvitova, Chris Evert, Kim Clijsters, Ash Barty, Angelique Kerber, and Carla Suarez Navarro.
These days, Halep is driven more by the love of competition than by any specific objectives.
Furthermore, she clarified, it’s difficult to know what to aim for these days due to the extended layoff as well as the fact that, as Halep stated, “I’m 32; I’m not that youthful anymore.”
She certainly hopes to be in the Top 10 again.
“What I experienced was not simple. So just because I got cleared doesn’t mean I can forget like this,” she added, snapping her fingers.
There are things that will likely remain for a longer time, and I will never be able to forget what happened, at least not for another day.
I must thus manage it better. I have to learn to manage my feelings when I return. That means that a lot of things are difficult. I think the delight will assist me, though.”