Even though there was a slim hope of seeing Simona Halep at the 2023 US Open, since she was spotted on the tournament entry list released last month, the Romanian has automatically been withdrawn at the time that the qualifying draw took place due to her provisional suspension, as per the regulations outlined in the Grand Slam Rulebook.
The USTA released a statement that Halep would definitely not be allowed to play the upcoming Grand Slam and that her spot in the women’s singles main draw went to Taylor Townsend of the United States.
The former world No.1 tested positive for the banned substance roxadustat at last year’s US Open and was accused of a second doping offense in May for irregularities found in her Athlete Biological Passport. Former world No.4 Jelena Dokic explained that inconsistencies found in Halep’s ABP suggest that the intake of the banned substance was going on for some time rather than it being a single contamination event and that the additional allegations are far worse than the initial positive doping test.
With Halep still under provisional suspension, the upcoming US Open will mark the fourth consecutive major tournament where she will be sidelined. The two-time Grand Slam champion insists on her innocence and claims that the positive doping test…
