01 September 2023 , 03:38
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Former world No 1 Simona Halep has denied that she's dating her doubles partner, as the Romanian continues to battle controversy on and off the court.
Halep was suspended provisionally last year after she returned a positive doping test, and a second rule violation has been placed on her since. Halep has denied the second charge but is facing a more personal issue following romantic claims.
The 31-year-old divorced her billionaire husband last year, and reports surfaced that she was dating playing partner Joao Monteiro. Halep categorically denies the rumours, and insists that nothing is going on between her and the Portuguese player.
She took to Instagram to deny the rumours, after ending her marriage with Toni Luric after just one year. Halep and Luric had been together for a number of years, but their split was reportedly amicable.
"I kept reading fabricated articles about my relationship with Joao, he is my training partner, nothing more," Halep wrote on Instagram. "Thank you."
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Monteiro is one of Halep's closest friends and was hired recently to join her team to help her prepare for an eventual return to the tour once her doping situation is over. Halep's ex-husband also spoke out about the rumours, and continues to stand by her through a tough period of allegations.
"I’m shocked, I haven’t recovered for an hour, I’m shocked and shocked again," Luric said earlier this year. "I can not believe that. I’ve known Simona for three years, of which at least two are in the circuit, and I swear to you that this girl, my ex-wife, is obsessed with one thing: honour!
"You can take anything from Simona, [but] if you [take] away her honour, her fairness, you kill her! She is no longer human!”
Simona Halep has denied rumours she's dating her close friend and fellow tennis pro (2022 Getty Images)Halep's positive doping result came back after she lost to Daria Snigur in the US Open last year. The test showed that the Romanian tested positive for Roxadustat - a substance that is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency as it stimulates red blood cell production.
This led to a formal investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, and they found issues with her biological passport. These track players' blood indicators over time and they determined that Halep's showed irregularities.
Halep has waited for months to discover the outcome of their investigation and is set to wait a little longer after hearing that their decision had been delayed. "Today I found out that the decision in my case, which was expected this week, will be further delayed," she said on social media.
"This is terribly disappointing, as I have constantly said that all I ask for is to be judged. It is hard to explain the emotional toll that all of these delays have had and continue to have on me."