Coach Patrick Mouratoglou has described Simona Halep as «a model of integrity», insisting there is no way the Romanian tennis star could knowingly or deliberately take a banned substance. On Friday, the ITIA announced that Halep had tested positive for the anemia drug Roxadustat.
The fact that Halep failed the doping test came as a surprise to many, as the two-time Grand Slam champion is one of the most respected players on the WTA Tour. After Halep released a statement about her, Mouratoglou simply said that he «stands behind her 100%».
Now, Mouratoglou has broken his silence with an extensive message.
Mouratoglou. Halep is a model of integrity
«Hello everyone. First of all, I want to express the impact our team has had since Simona informed me about the positive doping test at the US Open.
In almost 30 years of working with hundreds of professional athletes, I have never faced a situation like this. I am grateful that many of the people in the tennis world who have worked closely with Simona or who have known her personally for many years have spoken about her.
I want to thank these people for expressing out loud at such an important moment that Simona is a woman of value. Her words of certainty from her convey a strong message, which I stand by. Since Simona’s positive test last week, I have chosen to remain relatively silent.
My priority has been to put my energy into helping and supporting her in establishing the truth every day. Knowing Simona so well, I can assure you that she is a model of integrity. She is totally against any form of doping, and I know that it has never crossed her mind to take any banned substance.
I trust her 100%. Together, we will fight to show the truth,» Mouratoglou said in his statement.
Mouratoglou recently agreed to coach Holger Rune while Halep recovers from nose surgery. It remains to be seen when he will be allowed to return to Halep.
