The career of 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep is in tatters after she was given the most significant doping ban that tennis has seen since Maria Sharapova’s in 2016.

Following a lengthy process going back to the 2022 US Open, the 31-year-old Romanian received a four-year ban after being found with the forbidden roxadustat, a drug to treat anaemia, in her system. 

The International Tennis Integrity Agency also discovered irregularities in her blood passport system. Unless her appeal is successful she will not be able to compete again until 2026, when she will be 35.

Halep, who also won the 2018 French Open, was a respected and popular figure. She has maintained her innocence throughout the episode, which became public in October 2022 when the positive test was revealed from a urine sample at the US Open.

The player last night described herself as ‘shocked and disappointed’ and said she would be taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. 

She described the presence of roxadustat as at ‘an extremely low level’ and added that she adjusted her supplement regime last year on her team’s advice.

Yet in announcing their ruling, the ITIA said: ‘The tribunal accepted Halep’s argument that she took a contaminated supplement, but determined the volume ingested could not have resulted in the concentration of roxadustat found. 

'The ABP (biological passport) charge was also upheld, the tribunal stating they had no reason to doubt the unanimous “strong opinion” of three independent experts that “likely doping” was the explanation.’

Halep had a turbulent 2022. She split with long-time manager Virginia Ruzici and hired Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou. 

After a first round loss at the US Open it emerged she was ending her season and divorcing — after less than a year of marriage — Toni Iuruc, a billionaire businessman.