Simona Halep is withdrawn from the US Open amid doping suspension

Former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep has been withdrawn from the US Open later this month. 

Halep, 31, had entered into the Grand Slam provisionally amid her suspension but was automatically removed from the entry list at the deadline Monday – just one week before the tournament begins. 

American Taylor Townsend will replace the Romanian in the main draw for Flushing Meadows. 

Halep has been provisionally suspended since October 2022 after testing positive for banned blood-booster roxadustat at the US Open last year. 

She has denied knowingly taking the substance and claimed she has undertaken 10 tests since her positive result, with all of them coming back negative.

Players are unable to compete in or attend any sanctioned events during a provisional suspension. 

Her last on-court appearance came at the 2022 US Open on August 29 when she was knocked out in the first round by Daria Snigur. 

She was hit with a second anti-doping charge in May and has since fallen out of the top 1000 on the WTA. 

Halep has strongly denied knowingly taking the banned substance and has said she has evidence to show that small amounts of the anaemia drug entered her system from a licensed supplement that was contaminated.

Halep has said she sent evidence about the contamination to the International Tennis Federation in December and hoped her case would be heard by an independent tribunal in February but that it was postponed and a new date in March was also put back.

In May, Halep was charged with a further and separate breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme and asked again to be judged by an independent tribunal.

After being hit with a second charge, Halep released a furious statement on social media, in which she accused the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) of ‘harassment’ and ‘motivation to prove me guilty of something I never did’.

‘Since October 7, when I got charged by the ITIA for a suspicion of doping, I have lived the worst nightmare I have ever gone through in my life,’ she said.

‘Not only has my name been soiled in the worst possible way, but I am facing a constant determination from the ITIA for a reason that I cannot understand, to prove my guilt while I haven’t EVER even thought of taking any illicit substance.

‘I tried two times to have the opportunity to be judged by an Independent Tribunal and the ITIA has constantly found reasons to postpone.

‘Now that we have clearly established that I have been victim of a contamination, they came up with a so-called not normal evolution of my blood. Three world renowned experts that have studied my blood tests have been extremely clear that my blood is not totally normal.

‘I feel helpless facing such harassment and a motivation on their behalf to prove me guilty of something I never did. Once again, all my life I have been totally against any sort of cheating. It doesn’t align with my values.

‘The only thing I hope for, at this point, is to have the possibility to finally access the independent and impartial judges in a Tribunal, that will give me the chance to prove my innocence.

‘I have full trust in justice and I look forward to finally being able to present my case at my hearing that is scheduled at the end of May, after several delays by the ITIA.

‘The support of my loved ones, the tennis world and my fans have given me the courage to continue to practice every day and fight for the truth. I cannot thank you more for that. Love, Simona’.