Simona Halep was dropped from the U.S. Open subject on Monday due to a provisional doping suspension.
The U.S. Tennis Association introduced that Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked participant, “was automatically withdrawn” when the event’s qualifying draw was held.
Halep’s spot in the primary draw for the ladies’s singles event in Flushing Meadows went to Taylor Townsend. Play begins on Aug. 28.
During a provisional suspension, a participant is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned occasions.
Halep examined constructive ultimately yr’s U.S. Open for the banned substance Roxadustat, in line with the International Tennis Integrity Agency.
That is a drug authorized for medical use within the European Union to deal with the signs of anemia attributable to persistent kidney failure. According to the EU’s medicines company, it stimulates the physique to provide extra of the pure hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has lengthy been a doping product favored by cyclists and distance runners.
Halep was accused of a second doping offense in May for for irregularities in her Athlete Biological Passport.
She was seeded No. 7 in New York in 2022 and misplaced within the first spherical to Daria Snigur of Ukraine.
Halep is a 31-year-old from Romania who first reached No. 1 within the WTA rankings in 2017. She received the French Open in 2018 by beating Sloane Stephens within the ultimate, and Wimbledon in 2019 by defeating Serena Williams within the title match.
AP