Simona Halep’s Iga Swiatek comments slammed by former No 1 – ‘not a good look’

Oli Dickson Jefford 26 Dec 2024 9:49 AM

Grand Slam champions Simpna Halep and Iga Swiatek.

Simona Halep has been told her “ire should be directed at the system” as she was criticised for her Iga Swiatek comments by doubles great Rennae Stubbs.

World No 2 Swiatek has recently served a one-month ban after being found of “no significant fault” following a positive test for banned substance TMZ back in August 2024.

The five-time major winner was successfully able to prove to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that her melatonin medication had accidentally been contaminated with the banned drug.

Swiatek was temporarily suspended for three weeks before successfully appealing her provisional suspension and returning to court for the WTA Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Fellow former world No 1 Halep tested positive for roxadustat back at the US Open in 2022, and was initially banned for four years by the ITIA.

The Romanian ultimately saw her ban reduced to nine months on appeal, though this decision came after she had already been suspended for 18 months.

Two-time Grand Slam winner Halep has not hidden her frustration at the perceived differences between how her and Swiatek’s cases.

In one interview with The Telegraph, the 33-year-old refused to address Swiatek by name.

She said: “The woman player – I don’t want to give name, you know about who I’m talking about – she had the three-week suspension, then she played two events, and then she gets again suspension. What is this? I mean, I don’t understand. So I feel it is not fair.”

Tennis News

Emma Navarro ‘smells nervousness’ as key to Coco Gauff victories revealed

‘Novak Djokovic needs to be lucky to win another Grand Slam title’, assesses former WTA star

However, speaking on The Rennae Stubbs Podcast, six-time Grand Slam doubles champion and former world No 1 Stubbs was critical of Halep’s perceived digs at Swiatek.

“I think it’s not a good look for her,” said the Australian.

“She’s obviously angry, but her ire should be directed at the system, not at Iga. There are numerous players who channel their frustration toward another player, but they should be mad at the system.

“It’s not the players’ fault; they play by the rules. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be competing.”

Halep has also been critical of the ITIA, accusing the organisation of trying to “destroy” her in the immediate aftermath of Swiatek’s case.

However, speaking in agreement with Stubbs, former world No 9 Petkovic claimed the Romanian was “not making rational decisions”.

Petkovic added: “She’s angry, she’s acting from emotions. She’s not making rational decisions and you can feel the tide turning on her a little bit. I think the one thing that Simona had through all of this was sympathy.

“People really were on her side and it’s turning this year just because she hasn’t let go. If I had been in her situation I don’t know that I could have let go either.

“If Simona had known right away where the contamination was she would have done exactly the same thing that Iga has or Jannik [Sinner] has.

“She would have tried to get away with the least impact possible on her career.”