Boris Becker has thrown his support behind Simona Halep and insisted the Romanian star should be allowed to play at this summer’s Olympic Games.
The former Wimbledon champion tested positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat at the US Open in 2022 and was handed the long ban last September.
Yet her appeal to Halep appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was successful, as she reduced her doping ban from four years to nine months.
A CAS statement confirming their decision in March read: “The CAS panel has unanimously determined that the four-year period of ineligibility imposed by the ITF (International Tennis Federation) independent tribunal is to be reduced to a period of ineligibility of nine months starting on October 7, 2022, which period expired on July 6, 2023.”
Halep said in a statement issued by her legal team: “Throughout this long and difficult process, I have maintained my belief that the truth would eventually come out, and that a just decision would be reached because I am and always have been a clean athlete.
“My faith in the process was tested by the scandalous accusations that were levelled against me, and by the seemingly unlimited resources that were aligned against me.
“But in the end, the truth prevailed, even if it took much longer than I wish it had.
“I would like to thank my lawyers who have stood with me and believed in me from the beginning; and more importantly, I want to thank my sponsors, my fans and my competitors who stuck with me throughout this long and trying process. I cannot wait to return to the tour.
“I would like to particularly thank my fellow Romanians who believed unconditionally and who motivated me to take this battle to a successful and legitimate outcome.”
While the CAS decision allowed Halep to resume her career, she has struggled to get her comeback off the ground after a defeat in her comeback match and an injury halting her progress in her most recent event.
With Halep’s ranking evaporating during her time away from tennis, she was not given a wildcard into the French Open, despite her status as a former champion at Roland Garros.
Now Becker has urged tennis chiefs to ensure Halep does not continue to be punished after he suggested she was ‘cleared of all charges’ at her CAS appeal.
“She was penalised twice,” said Eurosport tennis expert Becker.
“She was penalised because she couldn’t play and penalised because she is not cleared of all charges. So it’s a double whammy.
“The WTA have to find a way that lets Halep play. She cannot be treated like this.
“She is not 21 any more. The longer you wait for these decisions, big opportunities for her will go by the wayside.
“If she is fit, clay is her best surface and now she is missing the French Open. At Roland Garros, she always has a shot.
“The Olympics are on clay this year and if you take away these opportunities for a young woman, it’s unfair.
“So I think authorities have to realise that and give her a fair shot at coming back.”
Halep will struggle to get into the Olympic Games in Paris this summer due to her ranking, with a special exemption needed to allow her to represent Romania.
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