The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed that Simona Halep’s appeal against her doping ban has been completed and the next step is to reach a verdict. Halep, a former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion, presented her defense in Lausanne from Wednesday to Friday in an effort to clear her name after being handed a four-year ban. Now, she must wait for the decision in her appeal case to see if she will be allowed to return to professional tennis before October 2026.
The CAS stated that there is no set timeline for the decision in the Halep appeal case. However, based on previous cases that have gone before the CAS, it is likely that Halep will have to wait for a month or possibly a few months to learn the outcome from the top sports court.
“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing in the arbitration procedures CAS 2023/A/10025 Simona Halep v. International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and CAS 2023/A/10227 International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) v. Simona Halep concluded at 3:30pm today with the final arguments of the parties, as scheduled,” the CAS stated.
“The parties have been informed that the CAS Panel responsible for the case will now deliberate and prepare the Arbitral Award, which will contain the decision and its rationale. No specific date has been announced for the notification of the final decision.”
Following her appearances in court on Wednesday and Thursday, Halep refrained from speaking to the media as she was prohibited from disclosing any details. However, on Friday, she briefly addressed the media and emphasized that she was unable to provide any specifics from the court proceedings. Despite this, she expressed her confidence that everything would turn out well for her.
“I am unable to share any information about what transpired during the hearing, but I can say that this hearing allowed me the opportunity to present my defense,” Halep stated after the conclusion of her hearing.
“I want to assure you that my confidence remains unwavering when it comes to the truth. I firmly believe that the truth will prevail, and it will be demonstrated that I never had any intention to engage in doping, nor did I ever do so.”
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org