(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Iga Swiatek breaks the record previously held by now-banned Simona Halep after the Polish star has spent the most weeks in the first position in the WTA rankings – 65. Halep spent a total of 64 weeks at the helm of the WTA rankings.
Nevertheless, Simona Halep was an inspiration for Swiatek. Iga admitted this when she found out Halep was accused of doping. “For sure it was confusing to me because I wouldn’t expect hearing this news,” Swiatek said in Fort Worth.
“Simona, from my point of view, seems like a person who always cared about being fair, and she was a great example for me. So hopefully… I don’t know how it works in terms of the system that they’ re going to… Is she going to be tested a couple of more times or whatever? Hopefully, it’s going to be more clear for fans and for us.
But, yeah, it’s kind of like disappointing, and she must feel really bad”.
Simona Halep’s case status
The former Wimbledon winner Simona Halep still awaits a trial for the doping accusations that have kept her away from professional courts since last year’s US Open.
Here is the Romanian’s statement after ITIA postponed her trial for the third time. “Once again, tonight, I am devastated. The ITF (ITIA) has once again, for the third time postponed my hearing one month later! I am waiting to be judged since last October.
In December, I have finally been able, thanks to experts, to show that the lot of the supplement I was using had been contaminated, which caused the positive control. I have asked, as the rules of the anti-doping state it, for a quick hearing: this is my right, it is written in the rules!
Unfortunately, the ITF (ITIA) has postponed my hearing three times. Denying me the right to be judged by an Independant Tribunal. – Not allowing me to participate into any tournament for 8 months. Now I know that I will have missed the Australian Open , Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Not to mention that I will have lost all my points and my ranking. Not only they are killing my reputation, but also me as a professional player, and I don’t even talk about the consequences on my mental health. rules by the ITF (ITIA) regarding the fast hearing I am entitled to have, is so disrespectful to me that I have no more words,” Halep said in a statement.