(Miami) Two-time major tournament champion Simona Halep returned to action Tuesday evening after having her suspension for doping reduced on appeal. However, she lost 1-6, 6-4 and 6-3 against the Spaniard Paula Badosa in the first round of the Miami tennis tournament.
It was a first match for the Romanian and former world number one racket for about a year and a half.
After an excellent first set, Halep ran into trouble and required treatment for his right shoulder during a change of ends at the end of the second set.
The Romanian was broken without winning a single point in the last game. Each time, it was a blatant direct error: a ball in the net, a backhand too long or a forehand too far.
After the match, Halep briefly smiled and waved to the fans as he left the field. The result may not have been what she wanted, but she was back to competing.
His four-year suspension, announced in 2023, was reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport two weeks ago. Two days later, Halep received an invitation to the Miami tournament.
Halep won the French Open in 2018 and the Wimbledon tournament in 2019.
Badosa, who has already ranked second in the world, is currently 80e. She must face the current second racket in the world and two-time reigning Australian Open champion, Aryna Sabalenka. The duel is scheduled for Thursday.
The man Sabalenka was dating, former hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, was found dead shortly after midnight Monday, Miami police said. Koltsov was 42 years old.
A tournament spokesperson said Tuesday that Sabalenka was still registered for the tournament.