What is the Mystery behind Simona Halep’s Tennis Comeback after Dopping ban?

Simona Halep has opened up about being nervous about her return to competitive tennis following her doping ban as she also admitted that a handful of current and former players offered support during her ordeal.

The former world No 1 tested positive for roxadustat at the 2022 US Open and she was immediately suspended. Although she protested her innocence, the International Tennis Integrity Authority upheld her suspension and she was handed a four-year ban in September 2023 with her return date set for October 2026.

However, the Romanian appealed against the suspension and on March 5 this year the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Halep’s positive test was likely caused by contamination of a supplement she had been using and she was cleared to make an immediate return to tennis.

She was handed a wildcard entry for the Miami Open and lost in the opening round against Paula Badosa.

Despite being anxious about her return, Halep had a positive experience at the WTA 1000 tournament.

“I’m very nervous,” she told The Associated Press in an interview.

The two-time Grand Slam winner added: “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. And it felt like I never (was) away.

“So it was a great feeling, a great energy, and I was really happy deep down that I am, again, part of tennis and part of this sport that I love. So for me, it was a great experience, much better than I expected. And this made me feel that, OK, now I want to go back and do my best and see how good I can be, still.”

Halep’s case drew reaction from past and present players with some backing the 2019 Wimbledon winner while others were not supportive.

AP reports that Halep stated that the list of players who offered support “includes Chris Evert, Kim Clijsters, Ash Barty, Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitova and Carla Suarez Navarro”.

The past 17 months, though, have not been easy for Halep and she admits there is still some baggage to deal with.

“It’s been a tough period. … It was difficult to manage, but now it’s a different story,” Halep said. “And I feel relief, I feel the freedom and yeah, I am back in business.”

She added: “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 forget, like, one day (to the next) what happened. So I have to handle it better. I have to control my emotions coming back. So there is a (lot) that is not easy. But the joy, I hope, will help me.”