Simona Halep, former world No. 1 in women’s tennis, was recommended by the organizers of the Australian Open, the first of the four major tournaments, on the 18th, and will be able to participate from the preliminary rounds. Photographed in March in Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. (2024 Reuters/USA TODAY Sports)
[18th (Reuters)]- Former world No. 1 women’s tennis rankings Simona Halep (Romania) was recommended by the organizers of the Australian Open, the first of the Grand Slam tournaments, on the 18th, and will participate from the preliminary round.
Halep, 33, was suspended for four years in 2022 after testing positive for the banned substance roxadustat and also being suspected of fraud on her Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). However, following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the suspension was shortened to nine months in March of this year.
Halep, who denies intentional drug use, returned to competition in Miami in March and most recently competed in Hong Kong in October, where she was eliminated in the first round.
Halep, who was runner-up at the Australian Open in 2018, is playing in the tournament for the first time in three years, saying, “The Australian Open is a tournament where I have experienced some of the best moments of my career. I can’t wait to play in front of them,” he said happily.
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