Alize Cornet throws support behind Simona Halep after shocking doping news

• Tennis News
• WTA Tennis

Former world No 11 Alize Cornet has thrown her support behind Simona Halep, stating that the Romanian will "win this fight." On Friday, the ITIA announced that former world No 1 Halep tested positive for Roxadustat, the anti-anaemia drug.

The Halep doping news came as a shock to many as many said that Halep never seemed like a player that would cheat. Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion, said the doping news were "the biggest shock of her life" and promised to give her best to show that she didn't intentionally take the prohibited substance.

"With you all the way Simona. It's unfair but you will win this fight," Cornet commented on Instagram.

Alize Cornet (who avoided a ban in 2018 after the ITF dismissed a charge for missing three drugs tests in a year) is the first player to support Simona Halep publicly with this message on Instagram.

pic.twitter.com/E4cnWdNMFW — Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) October 21, 2022

Cornet showed support for Halep

Shortly after the ITIA announced that Halep was being provisionally suspended, Halep released a statement.

In her statement, Halep insisted that she never thought about cheating in any way. “I have been notified that I have tested positive for a substance called Roxadustat in an extremely low quantity, which came as the biggest shock of my life.

Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with. Facing such an unfair situation, I feel completely confused and betrayed. I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that, sooner or later, the truth will come out.

It’s not about the titles or money. It’s about honour, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years," Halep said in a statement. Interestingly, Cornet defeated Halep earlier this year in the Australian Open round-of-16.

With that win over Halep, Cornet reached her first-ever Grand Slam singles quarterfinal. It remains to be seen if more players will join Cornet in supporting Halep.