Romanian tennis ace Simona Halep returned to the tour after serving a nine-month ban imposed over doping violations. Although Halep got her ban reduced significantly as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) declared that her consuming a banned substance was unintentional. the Romanian had to face the wrath of fans.
Being away from the game for over a year also made the 32-year-old unfamiliar with the situations a player goes through. As Halep has revealed after she was handed a wildcard entry into the Miami Open, she was nervous and not sure about how she should be treated in the locker room or the dining area.
She talked about her feelings when she made a comeback to the tour. Halep says that she was not sure about how would the fans or his fellow athletes react. But contrary to her perception, Halep received immense love from the crowd, match officials, and the players.
I felt like I don’t know what to expect from people (in Miami). How it’s going to be — to be in the locker room again. Players’ dining (area). All this routine that I didn’t do for almost two years, it looked new for me. And when I arrived on-site, the love that I received from the people that are working for the tournament, the security, and all the people around, and also the players, helped me to just forget everything. Simona Halep revealed in a recent interview with new agency AP.
Simona Halep reveals who all helped her in the tough phase
The Romanian tennis ace also talked about the tough phase and revealed who all stood by her side when she fought for justice. Simona Halep claimed that while her friends and family were by her side throughout, a few ex-players also reached out to help her.
She also mentioned a few names. Halep only revealed that American tennis legend Chris Evert, Australia’s Ash Barty, Kim Clijsters, and a few others. The Romanian also talked about her mindset when she was slapped with a four-year ban.
What I went through is not easy. So I cannot forget, like this just because I got cleared. There is baggage that probably will stay longer, and I cannot f⁷orget, like, one day (to the next) what happened…It’s been a tough period. … It was difficult to manage, but now it’s a different story. And I feel relief, I feel the freedom and yeah, I am back in business… Simona Halep said.
The 32-year-old said that she felt like it was over for her. However, the respite that came in the form of the CAS verdict made her believe in herself yet again. Halep now aims to be back in the top 10 in the WTA rankings where she has slipped to No. 1144.
Leave a Reply