MIAMI - Simona Halep returned to tennis on March 19, losing to Spaniard Paula Badosa at the Miami Open and then hit back at Caroline Wozniacki after the Dane criticised the decision to give her a wild card into the tournament.
Halep, a former world No. 1, was given a warm welcome by the Miami crowd before fading as she lost 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in her first match since the 2022 US Open.
But while the Romanian flags and chants of her name showed that she retains plenty of support after having her doping ban reduced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on March 5, Wozniacki questioned the way Halep was allowed into the tournament.
"This is not directly at Simona, but if someone purposely cheats, if someone has tested positive for doping... I understand why a tournament wants a big star in the tournament, but it's my personal belief, and it's not a knock on anyone, but it's my personal belief that I don't think people should be awarded wild cards afterwards," said the 2018 Australian Open champion.
This story is from the March 21, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the March 21, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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