Simona Halep’s legal team has filed a lawsuit against Quantum Nutrition, the Canadian company responsible for the Keto MCT product. This product, which contained the banned substance roxadustat, resulted in a 4-year suspension for the Romanian tennis player. Halep alleges that Quantum Nutrition lied about the product’s contents and origin. The case has been brought before the Supreme Court of the State of New York, with Halep seeking damages exceeding $10 million.
Quantum Nutrition, known for their Schinoussa Superfoods brand, failed to disclose the presence of roxadustat on the product’s nutrition label. Furthermore, it is suspected that the company used Chinese ingredients of unknown origin instead of the Pacific Ocean-sourced ingredients stated on the label.
During our investigation, we discovered that Halep reportedly consumed the Keto MCT product. The product description claims that it is made from “premium coconuts” and contains four ingredients. However, there is no mention of the presence of roxadustat, a drug commonly used to treat anemia.
In the filed lawsuit, it is stated that Schinoussa, the defendant, falsely claimed that their collagen peptides were sourced from the Pacific Ocean. In reality, the Keto MCT product contained Chinese ingredients of unknown origin and undisclosed roxadustat. It is worth noting that only one of the three Schinoussa supplements consumed by Halep during the 2022 US Open was contaminated with roxadustat.
Further investigation into the Schinoussa Superfoods brand revealed that its CEO, Kostas Koveos, has a LinkedIn profile featuring a picture of himself with Stefanos Tsitsipas. On Instagram, Koveos is followed by Canadian player Vasek Pospisil, who co-founded Novak Djokovic’s Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). In a statement released in September 2023, the PTPA expressed its support for Halep’s fight to prove her innocence in the doping allegations. The association emphasized its commitment to protecting players’ rights and assisting them in anti-doping cases.
The PTPA’s statement on Simona Halep’s ruling can be found on their official Twitter account. The association condemns the unfair and unexplained delays in Halep’s case and promises to support her in any future appeals, as well as other players in need of assistance. The PTPA also advocates for improved processes in anti-doping cases to benefit all players.
“I take full responsibility for the events that transpired because it was my team, essentially me, who provided her with this collagen,” Mouratoglou expressed in a video shared on his Instagram account in November.
While awaiting the decision from the CAS judges regarding her doping case and the progress of the legal complaint filed in New York, Halep resumed her training at the Dubai Creek Academies in Dubai.
On Monday, the Romanian athlete posted a photograph showcasing her tossing the ball into the air and preparing her racket for a serve.
A post shared by Simona Halep (@simonahalep)
“I am unable to disclose any information regarding the hearing, but I can assure you that this hearing allowed me the opportunity to present my defense,” Halep stated after the conclusion of her hearing. “I want to emphasize that my confidence remains unwavering in regards to the truth. I firmly believe that the truth will prevail, and it will be evident that I never had any intention to engage in doping, nor did I ever do so.” Read more: CAS issues statement following the conclusion of the hearing in Simona Halep’s appeal against her doping ban.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org