Two-times major winner Simona Halep of Romania has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for the banned substance roxadustat, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Friday.
Halep, ranked ninth in the world, was tested during the US Open and both her A and B samples confirmed the presence of the drug.
"Simona Halep, a 31-year-old Romanian tennis player, has been provisionally suspended under Article 7.12.1 of the 2022 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP)," the body said in a statement.
"The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that the A sample contained FG-4592 (Roxadustat), which is a prohibited substance listed in the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List."
Halep described the ban as the "biggest shock of her life".
"Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed," she wrote on Twitter.
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) October 21, 2022
McIlroy joins elite club with back-to-back Masters wins
Man City thump Chelsea to move closer to Arsenal
Inter extend Serie A lead after fight back against Como
Sinner beats Alcaraz in Monte Carlo final to top rankings
Tottenham stay in bottom three after defeat by Sunderland
