Euronews spoke to Simona Halep, former world number one tennis player, as she awaits the findings of the Court of Arbitration for Sport on a doping scandal which she admits could end her illustrious career.
Simona Halep has risen to the top of world tennis, winning two Grand Slam titles along the way. But now she faces the biggest battle of her life, after being found guilty of taking performance-enhancing drugs. We interviewed her in Paris.
“It was heavy on my shoulders”
Tokunbo Salako, Euronews:
“It’s been a special year for you, a year without playing. Describe to me, if you can, your state of mind at the moment?”
Simona Halep, Romanian tennis champion:
“It’s been over a year now and every day I’ve felt bad, very tried, hurt because I know I didn’t do anything wrong and I know I’m clean. So it’s been a shock when I received the letter informing me that my urine test, just the urine test, had come back positive, with, in fact, an extremely small amount of the banned substance. I have always been against doping and I also always spoke about it loud and clear, so it never crossed my mind in my entire life to do something like that. So, it was a shock. I had a hard time dealing with the emotional part because it was very heavy on my shoulders and seeing so much communication about it, it really affected my mental health, that’s for sure.”
“The support has been extraordinary”
Tokunbo Salako:
“You’ve received a lot of support online, which isn’t surprising because you’re one of the most popular sports stars in the world, but you’ve also had a lot of detractors. How did you react?”
Simona Halep:
“The support has been overwhelming. The fans have supported me unconditionally, which means a lot. It means a lot to see people’s support. Even though I’m facing the worst moment of my life as an athlete, I I know I’m clean. I’ve received tons of messages, supportive messages, and most importantly, I’ve never had to deal with anyone saying anything negative to me. All the messages were positive and it gave me the strength to continue fighting every day, to clear my name and show that I did nothing wrong. The players, who are my opponents, also showed me their support, which I really appreciated, because it means a lot. We compete on the court, but when you are in the worst situation, they are there and support you. The legends too. The legends of tennis gave me supported me a lot and they also spoke about me publicly, which means a lot. They supported me wholeheartedly and it’s great, it’s huge. All of this helps me stay strong during these difficult times and fight to clear my name.”
“I did not intend to cheat in tennis”
Tokunbo Salako:
“The International Tennis Integrity Agency also said that three different panels of experts have claimed that you intentionally took performance-enhancing substances. What will your defense be?”
Simona Halep:
“Yes, that’s what they said. But it’s very clear that it was contamination. Three days before the positive urine test, I was negative for blood and urine . So I was told from the start that it was an extremely small quantity of this banned substance, and that during these three days I had not been able to dope. my intention and I never intended to do anything wrong or disrespect this sport, because I have respected all the rules and I have dedicated my life to this sport. My principles are not like that, so I did not intend to cheat in tennis. There are two things: firstly, the contamination – I think it is very strong in my case – and secondly, the blood tests . I did many, many tests and all of them were negative. They never found anything abnormal in my blood. So, because of these two things, I feel confident to face the Court of Arbitration for Sport .”
Tokunbo Salako:
“But do you have confidence in the process?”
Simona Halep:
“Yes, I think it’s way too long to wait for an athlete, a professional athlete. I accepted that I couldn’t do anything about it and now I’m looking forward to February when I we will finally have the final decision.”
“I would have liked (Patrick Mouratoglou) speaks a little earlier”
Tokunbo Salako:
“There has been criticism of you, some of your team, Patrick Mouratoglou, who is perhaps the most famous tennis coach in the world. He made a statement last month and indicated that he recognized his responsibility, saying: “Yes, our team made a mistake. You had this contaminated collagen. “How is your relationship with him today?”
Simona Halep:
“It is true that he spoke publicly. I wish he had done so a little sooner. I stopped working with his Academy for some time now. When I found myself in this situation , it was difficult to manage because I always trusted my teams, my previous teams and everyone I work with, because I had the feeling that by trusting, we had a better chance to give the best of yourself. I have always been open to learning. That’s why we hire people, because we need information, we need to improve. So I’ve always had confidence in that and my confidence is a little shaken at the moment. And, in the future, I don’t know how it will happen, if I will be able to trust again. I probably have to learn from this lessons because it’s the principle that I apply in life: if you hire a person and you work with them, you have to trust them.”
Tokunbo Salako:
“And when was the last time you spoke?”
Simona Halep:
“It wasn’t very recently, it was a few months ago.”
According to the player, it would be the end of her career if her four-year ban was upheld
Tokunbo Salako:
“If the Arbitral Tribunal makes a decision that is unfavorable to you, will that mark the end of your career?”
Simona Halep:
“I think so, because four years will be a lot, for my age anyway, and for an athlete who has been doing this every day for 25 years and who has dedicated her life to tennis and sport. I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but it would be catastrophic if it’s four years and I don’t know how I would handle it. It will probably be the end of my career, yes. And for something I didn’t do and which is not my fault, it is even more catastrophic.”
“Children should have big dreams”
Tokunbo Salako:
“You remain a national heroine in your native Romania and beyond, that’s for sure. What message do you send to young people?”
Simona Halep:
“The only thing I can tell kids is that they should have big dreams. I think that’s the most important thing, to imagine yourself with the big trophies. Of course, you never know what will happen in life, but if you dedicate yourself to the sport, if you are disciplined, if you work hard and if you have the passion, the great passion for this sport, I think you will be able, one day, to lift these trophies. I did it and I can share that with them. They must have the courage to trust themselves and move forward. I know that some days are difficult because we don’t have I don’t want to go. We’re tired, exhausted, sometimes depressed. But if you push yourself and go on court on those days, it’s a huge step. I wish them good luck and to trust each other , to have confidence in them.”
The Paris Olympics? “It would be incredible to get back on the court, it’s my dream”
Tokunbo Salako:
“Before we let you go, if we look to the future and the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport is favorable to you, will you be back in Paris, perhaps for the Olympic Games?”
Simona Halep:
“Yes, of course, it’s my dream! I know there’s not much chance of it happening, but I dream about it because Paris is the city of my dreams. I won Roland- Garros when I was a junior, so it all started really early, and it will be amazing to get back on the court no matter what, but I just want to be on the court because it’s my place and I feel like I I want to start again.”