Simona Halep receives support from Ashleigh Barty amid doping suspension

Ashleigh Barty recently showed her support for former World No. 1 Simona Halep amid the latter's doping suspension.

Halep announced on October 2022 that she had tested positive for Roxadustat, a banned substance, at the 2022 US Open. On the same day, the International Tennis Integrity Agency temporarily suspended her.

Halep has since vowed to clear her name, only to have her appeal hearing repeatedly postponed.

The hearing, which is currently scheduled for May 28, is still not guaranteed to take place, thus complicating matters for the two-time Grand Slam champion. That also means Halep will miss the French Open, which she won in 2018.

Ashleigh Barty, who retired from professional tennis nearly 14 months ago and is expecting her first child, recently sat down for an interview with The Guardian, where she stated that Simona Halep was an "exceptional" person whom she greatly respects. The Aussie also revealed that she has been checking in on Halep for nearly a year.

"I love Simo and I respect Simo. I’ve spoken to her a little bit over the last 12 months or so, just checking in to see how she is going. She is an exceptional person," Barty said.

Touching on her suspension, the three-time Grand Slam champion expressed hope that Halep would be given the opportunity to speak up and explain her position.

"I really sincerely hope that she has an opportunity to have her say and to explain her side, because there are always two sides to every story. I think you’d be struggling to find anyone who wouldn’t want to see her back out there doing what she absolutely loves, which is competing on a big stage against the best in the world," Barty said.

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How did Simona Halep fare at Grand Slam tournaments in 2022?

Simona Halep pictured at the 2023 National Bank Open Toronto - Day 3.

Simona Halep competed in the 2022 Australian Open, where she defeated Magdalena Frech, Beatriz Haddad Maia and Danka Kovinic in the first three rounds to advance to the fourth round. There, she was defeated by Alize Cornet in a three-set thriller.

The Romanian then participated in the French Open, where she was defeated in the second round by teenager Qinwen Zheng. Most notably, she had a panic attack after winning the first set against the Chinese and couldn't focus on the rest of the match.

The 31-year-old quickly bounced back at Wimbledon, reaching the semifinals without dropping a set. She defeated Karolina Muchova, Kirsten Filpkens, Magdalena Frech, Paula Badosa and Amanda Anisimova before losing to eventual champion Elena Rybakina.

Then, in the first round of the US Open, Halep was stunned by qualifier Daria Snigur, after which the aforementioned positive test for Roxadustat occurred.