{"id":222273,"date":"2023-09-13T09:03:24","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T09:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/?p=222273"},"modified":"2023-09-13T09:03:24","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T09:03:24","slug":"serena-williams-appears-to-aim-dig-at-simona-halep-as-ex-wimbledon-champ-is-given-four-year-ban-for-positive-drugs-test-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allworldreport.com\/sport\/serena-williams-appears-to-aim-dig-at-simona-halep-as-ex-wimbledon-champ-is-given-four-year-ban-for-positive-drugs-test-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams appears to aim dig at Simona Halep as ex-Wimbledon champ is given four-year ban for positive drugs test | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
SERENA WILLIAMS appeared to take aim at Simona Halep after the Romanian was handed a four-year doping ban.<\/p>\n
Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep, 31, tested positive for the prohibited anti-anaemia drug Roxadustat after the 2022 US Open.<\/p>\n
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On Tuesday, it was confirmed she had been given the lengthy suspension from tennis.<\/p>\n
Hours later, Williams seemed to react to the news with a pointed comment on Twitter.<\/p>\n
She posted: "8 is a better number."<\/p>\n
The comment is thought to be in reference to Halep's win over Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final.<\/p>\n
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The retired American, 41, was denied an eighth Wimbledon crown and record-equalling 24th Grand Slam as Halep beat her 6-2 6-2 at the All England Club.<\/p>\n
Williams ended up retiring in 2022 without any more Slam titles to her name.<\/p>\n
But she now appears to feel aggrieved about Halep's Wimbledon win due to her subsequent failed test.<\/p>\n
There is no suggestion Halep will be stripped of the title as a result of the ban.<\/p>\n
<\/picture>SIMONA drug ban <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>ROMAN RUINS <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>‘HE LIES’ <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>STILL GOT IT <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Roxadustat is on the World\u00a0Anti-Doping\u00a0Agency's banned list due to its ability to increase haemoglobin and red blood cell count – which would be beneficial for an athlete in a cardiovascular-based sport.<\/p>\n The 2019\u00a0Wimbledon\u00a0singles champion, 31, was hit with a provisional suspension by the International\u00a0Tennis\u00a0Integrity Agency last October.<\/p>\n The ITIA, upon further investigation, discovered further irregularities in the Romanian's biological passport.<\/p>\n Halep, who also won the 2018 French Open,\u00a0revealed in May that her team had discovered that a tainted supplement was the cause of the positive test.<\/p>\n The ITIA accepted her explanation for the violation, but that hasn't stopped them from slapping her with a four-year suspension.<\/p>\nEx-World No1 Halep banned for FOUR YEARS after failing drug test<\/h3>\n
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