Simona Halep could find out her fate soon following anti-doping hearing

Simona Halep has finally been given an opportunity to state her case in front of an anti-doping tribunal following her failed drugs test in August last year.

The former world No 1 tested positive for the anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat during the US Open and two months later she was provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) as her second sample also returned a positive result.

Roxadustat is classified in the same category of banned substances such as EPO as it increases the production of red blood cells, helping endurance.

The Romanian has protested her innocence since the results were made public, but it has been a lengthy and frustrating process to clear her name as her anti-doping hearing was postponed several times.

In April the two-time Grand Slam winner – who claimed analysis by experts revealed a contaminated supplement was responsible for the failed drugs test – hit out at both ITIA and the International Tennis Federations over several delays, stating: “I’m not asking for special treatment. I just ask to be judged. How much longer is this going to take?”

The following month she was hit with a second charge due to “irregularities in her athlete biological passport” with the ITIA stating that both cases would be heard at the same time.

READ MORE: ‘Devastated’ Simona Halep slams ITIA – ‘They are killing my reputation’

The 31-year-old finally had her day in front of a tribunal on Wednesday as her case was heard in London and Romania’s Digi Sport reports that the findings could be released in a fortnight.

“She was heard today, but she will be heard tomorrow as well. In about two weeks we should have a first verdict,” the publication stated.

Halep could be suspended for between two and four years if the original findings are upheld.

Digi Sport also interviewed Ilie Nastase about Halep’s case and the former world No 1 slammed authorities.

“Simona, I don’t know, her situation is complicated. As Mr. [Ion] Țiriac also said, she had to hurry at the beginning, because then they chopped her. The longer you delay her, the longer she will wait to be able to play tennis again,” he said.

Nastase continued: “Simona has to stay at the hand of some decision makers who are not very fair. I know some tennis players from other countries who have been caught [in doping cases] and absolutely nothing has been done. It has been said at management level that if these names are given out, the sponsors leave and there will be no WTA tournaments. That was the answer.”