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Former World number 1 tennis star Simona Halep has urged for an emergency hearing on her doping suspension after laboratory tests showed product contamination as the source of the prohibited drug Roxadustat's presence in her system.
Notably, International Tennis Integrity Agency announced a suspension of the Romanian professional tennis player following a positive test for Roxadustat, a drug used to treat anemia but also helps in improving an athlete's endurance, during the US Open, last August.
Notably, the two-time Grand Slam champion faces a ban of up to four years. Meanwhile, an exclusive report by ProSport revealed the findings of an examination commissioned by Halep that was conducted in specialized centers accredited by the Laboratoire Antidopage Français.
The report suggested that the 2018 Roland Garros winner had 'accidental sources of compounds that exceed the purity criteria of the substance listed on their labels.’ According to reports, laboratory results verify the minimal presence of Roxadustat in Halep's urine sample, but the drug is not listed on the labels of the product she used.
Research further indicated the risk in the production process and the contamination of the products taken by the 2019 Wimbledon champion. The report further concluded that the composition, manufacturing characteristics, presentation and labelling of the supplements were not compliant, thus altering the Romanian supplements.
Roxadustat is a drug that stimulates red blood cell production. It increases oxygen delivery to the muscles, thus proving beneficial to sportspersons.
Meanwhile, Halep recently posted an Instagram where she showed her optimistic nature amid a doping scandal that shocked the entire Tennis fraternity. "Everywhere you go, take a smile like you," Halep wrote in her Insta story.