Speaking exclusively to Euronews, the two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep describes the 'worst year of her life' and her fight to be cleared of doping charges to play top level tennis again.
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00:00 The world beneath Simona Halep's feet crumbled last year when she was found guilty of doping.
00:07 The two-time Grand Slam champion has now been banned from tennis for four years until 2026,
00:12 but she's hoping that ruling will soon be reversed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
00:17 The hearing for her case has been set in February,
00:20 after the International Tennis Integrity Agency found she deliberately took performance-enhancing drugs.
00:25 Halep, however, says that verdict is wrong.
00:29 It's very clear that it was a contamination.
00:31 Three days before the positive urine test, I was negative blood and urine.
00:36 So I've been told at the beginning that it's extremely low quantity of this substance, banned substance,
00:43 and in those three days I could not have doped.
00:47 It was not my intention and never has been my intention to do something wrong
00:52 or something disrespectful to this sport because I have respected everything
00:57 and I dedicated my life.
00:59 My principles are not like this, so I didn't think to cheat in tennis.
01:05 There was another twist in the tale last month when her high-profile coach, Patrick Mouratouglou,
01:11 admitted after a year's silence that his technical team were to blame for giving Halep a contaminated substance.
01:17 She's expressed great relief about the revelation, as it may prove to be crucial for her return to court.
01:24 That's why you hire people, because you need information, you need to be better.
01:29 So I always trusted this and my trust is broken a little bit right now
01:34 and in the future I don't know how it's going to be.
01:37 If I can trust again, probably I have to learn, because this is my principle in life.
01:43 If you hire somebody and you work with that person, you have to trust.
01:50 Watch the full interview with Simona Halep on Euronews from 10 o'clock on Friday night.
01:55 night.
01:55 [WHOOSH]
01:58 (dramatic music)