In a recent ruling, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has reduced Simona Halep's four-year ban for doping to a nine-month suspension. The decision comes as a relief for the two-time Grand Slam champion, who can now make a return to tennis sooner than anticipated.

Halep, a former world number one from Romania, had vehemently maintained her innocence after being charged with two separate doping offenses. The charges included testing positive for the anti-anaemia drug roxadustat and irregularities in her athlete biological passport (ABP).

CAS partially upheld Halep's case, ruling that she had not intentionally taken roxadustat. The panel determined, "on the balance of probabilities," that the substance entered her body through the consumption of a contaminated supplement called Keto MCT, which she had used in the days leading up to the US Open in August 2022.

Although the CAS panel found Halep partially at fault for not exercising sufficient care when using the supplement, they concluded that she bore no significant fault or negligence. Consequently, the panel determined that her anti-doping rule violations were not intentional.

The ITIA, responsible for testing in tennis and the entity that brought the investigation forward, has expressed its respect for the CAS decision. The investigation by the ITIA revealed that the contamination of roxadustat was likely a result of the collagen supplement Keto MCT.

Halep, who had been originally banned until October 2026, feared that her career would be over if the initial decision was upheld. She expressed her relief at the reduced ban, stating, "My faith in the process was tested by the scandalous accusations that were leveled against me, and by the seemingly unlimited resources that were aligned against me. I cannot wait to return to the tour."

In addition to the doping charge, Halep also faced a second separate offense related to irregularities in her ABP. The panel of three experts assessed 51 valid samples of Halep's blood and concluded that there were "likely doping" indicators. However, CAS was not comfortably satisfied that Halep had committed an offense, leading them to dismiss the charge.

Halep, who has earned £32.2m in career prize money, will be able to return to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour after serving the nine-month ban, which will be backdated to the start of her suspension. Her results and rankings from August 29, 2022, to October 7, 2022, will remain disqualified, along with any prize money earned during that time.

The 32-year-old tennis star has not played since October 2022, when she was charged with the offenses. However, in recent weeks, Halep has shared videos of her on-court training sessions, showcasing her determination to clear her name and make a triumphant return to the sport.

With the lifting of her ban, fans can now eagerly anticipate seeing one of the biggest names on the WTA Tour competing once again at the highest level.