Simona Halep defeated by Paula Badosa in Miami on return from doping ban | Simona Halep

Five hundred and sixty-eight days after she final struck a ball in a match of any consequence, Simona Halep returned to skilled tennis from her shortened doping ban. The comeback got here in a troublesome, gruelling battle that resulted in a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 loss in opposition to Paula Badosa of Spain in the primary spherical of the Miami Open.

Despite the defeat, the previous No 1’s efficiency marks a primary step again as she tries to return to the highest stage of the game. Halep has not competed since she misplaced to Daria Snigur in the primary spherical of the 2022 US Open – she examined constructive for roxadustat after that match.

Halep was initially handed a four-year ban for each the banned substance and irregularities in her athlete blood passport. Earlier this month, the court docket of arbitration for sport (Cas) dramatically decreased the ban, concluding that Halep was not responsible of deliberately doping. Cas is but to launch their full reasoned resolution, explaining how her ban was decreased to 9 months.

Early on in the encounter in opposition to Badosa, Halep was understandably nervous, double-faulting twice in her opening service sport. But she shortly settled down and her superior consistency, motion and depth allowed her to shortly break early in opposition to an errant Badosa and roll by means of the primary set.

While Badosa is a former world No 2 with appreciable pedigree, the Spaniard has struggled with accidents over the previous yr, most lately a recurring again harm. Her insecurity was instantly clear as she sprayed unforced errors all through the opening set, however she steadily labored her means into the match. While Halep remained comparatively constant off the bottom, the 33-year-old struggled along with her serve and Badosa took benefit of her opponent’s dwindling size in the second set.

Her physique unaccustomed to the depth of top-level tennis after so lengthy, Halep took a medical timeout for shoulder soreness earlier than Badosa served out the second set at 5-4. As Halep regarded more and more fatigued and errant in an intense closing set, Badosa took an early break earlier than dramatically holding on regardless of ache in her proper foot in the ultimate video games.

Halep will subsequent flip her focus to the clay court docket season, the place she’s going to rely on wildcards to compete on the prime stage. Having spent greater than 12 months out of competitors, the Romanian returns to the game unranked after being No 7 in August 2022. The WTA doesn’t enable gamers to take protected rankings on their return from doping bans, as they do for harm or maternity go away.

As a former No 1 and grand slam champion, although, Halep could have limitless wildcards in her return to the game in comparison with the restrict of three important draw and three qualifying wildcards positioned on most gamers. It is difficult to think about that Halep could have a tough time acquiring them, each due to her standing as a grand slam champion and the publicity her comeback will generate for any match that invitations her.

Badosa, in the meantime, is scheduled to face Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and second seed, on Thursday. On Monday, Sabalenka’s boyfriend, the previous hockey participant Konstantin Koltsov, tragically died in Miami. While Sabalenka didn’t take part in the match’s media day on Tuesday following her bereavement, the Belarusian trained on Tuesday afternoon in Miami and it seems that she intends to play in the match.