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AP National Sports

Simona Halep, 2-time major champ, gets provisional drug ban

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Published 6:54 AM

By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after failing a drug test during the U.S. Open in August. The ITIA announced the suspension Friday. Halep is a former No. 1 player who is currently No. 9 in the WTA rankings. The 31-year-old from Romania says in a social media post that she was shocked by the positive test and “never knowingly took any prohibited substance.” She says she will “fight until the end.” The ITIA said Halep tested positive in New York for Roxadustat. The drug stimulates the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO.

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