(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Former owner of the Mutua Madrid Open and billionaire Ion Tiriac has a pessimistic view on Simona Halep‘s future in the professional tennis world after her doping case still lays unsettled. “In my opinion, they have finished Simona’s career, and someone has to answer here.
How much can Simona ask for? 100 million, 200? Who is the culprit? Someone, however, is guilty, but it is sad what is happening to Simona. I don’t compare it to the fact that we are Romanians or I don’t know what. When someone slaps you, if you don’t slap them back – my father taught me 80 years ago – it means you’re a servant and only on your knees.
We are Romanians and we deserve this. If we stood up, instead of sitting… A sword doesn’t cut a bowed head, remember? I stood up both in Sydney when it was the thing, I stood when he played the wrong anthem for me in the USA at the official opening of the Davis Cup and I walked off the court.
For me, being Romanian was a matter of pride. That’s how it was and remains. Now, these are us Romanians and this is how we parade,” Ion Tiriac said per Romanian publication AS.
Simona Halep’s doping case status
Halep still awaits to legally defend against the doping accusations.
Here is the Romanian’s latest statement. “Once again, tonight, I am devastated. The ITF (ITIA) has once again, for the third time postponed my hearing one month later! I am waiting to be judged since last October. In December, I have finally been able, thanks to experts, to show that the lot of the supplement I was using had been contaminated, which caused the positive control.
I have asked, as the rules of the anti-doping state it, for a quick hearing: this is my right, it is written in the rules! Unfortunately, the ITF (ITIA) has postponed my hearing three times. Denying me the right to be judged by an Independant Tribunal.
– Not allowing me to participate into any tournament for 8 months. Now I know that I will have missed the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Not to mention that I will have lost all my points and my ranking. Not only they are killing my reputation, but also me as a professional player, and I don’t even talk about the consequences on my mental health.
This disrespect of the rules by the ITF (ITIA) regarding the fast hearing I am entitled to have, is so disrespectful to me that I have no more words,” Halep said in a statement.
