(New York) Simona Halep has been ruled out of the U.S. Open due to a provisional suspension for doping.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has announced that Halep, a two-time Grand Slam winner and former world No. 1, has been “automatically removed” from the qualifying draw.
Halep’s place in the main draw went to Taylor Townsend. The tournament will kick off on August 28.
During a provisional suspension, a player is ineligible to play in any sanctioned tournament.
Halep tested positive for Roxadust at last year’s Flushing Meadows tournament, according to the Tennis Integrity Agency.
This medicine is approved for medical use in the European Union to treat symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney disease. It would stimulate the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, a doping product long favored by cyclists and long-distance runners.
Halep was charged with a second anti-doping rule violation in May for irregularities in her biological passport.
Seeded seventh at the US Open last year, she lost in the first round to Ukraine’s Daria Snigur.
The 31-year-old Romanian, No. 1 for the first time in 2017, won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019.