<p>Former world number one Simona Halep said Friday she will "fight until the end" to prove she did not knowingly take a prohibited substance after she was <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/former-world-number-one-halep-provisionally-suspended-for-doping-1155671.html" target="_blank">provisionally suspended</a> for doping.</p>.<p>A sample that Halep provided during the US Open in August showed traces of Roxadustat, a drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells and is used in the treatment of patients with kidney problems, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.</p>.<p>Halep, the current world number nine, said the positive test was "the biggest shock of my life".</p>.<p>"Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with," the Romanian tweeted.</p>.<p>The 31-year-old said an "extremely low quantity" of the substance had been found in her body.</p>.<p>"I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out," Halep added.</p>.<p>The 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon champion had ended her season in mid-September after having nose surgery.</p>.<p>She said that in February she had considered ending her career but she began working with Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou and her form briefly rebounded.</p>.<p>She reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year and won in Toronto to reach No.6 in the rankings in August before slipping back to ninth.</p>.<p>The ITIA, which oversees tennis' anti-doping programme, said it had informed her on October 7 that she was being provisionally suspended.</p>
<p>Former world number one Simona Halep said Friday she will "fight until the end" to prove she did not knowingly take a prohibited substance after she was <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/sports/tennis/former-world-number-one-halep-provisionally-suspended-for-doping-1155671.html" target="_blank">provisionally suspended</a> for doping.</p>.<p>A sample that Halep provided during the US Open in August showed traces of Roxadustat, a drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells and is used in the treatment of patients with kidney problems, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.</p>.<p>Halep, the current world number nine, said the positive test was "the biggest shock of my life".</p>.<p>"Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once, as it is totally against all the values I have been educated with," the Romanian tweeted.</p>.<p>The 31-year-old said an "extremely low quantity" of the substance had been found in her body.</p>.<p>"I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out," Halep added.</p>.<p>The 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon champion had ended her season in mid-September after having nose surgery.</p>.<p>She said that in February she had considered ending her career but she began working with Serena Williams' former coach Patrick Mouratoglou and her form briefly rebounded.</p>.<p>She reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon this year and won in Toronto to reach No.6 in the rankings in August before slipping back to ninth.</p>.<p>The ITIA, which oversees tennis' anti-doping programme, said it had informed her on October 7 that she was being provisionally suspended.</p>