Simona Halep has criticized the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for its handling of Iga Świątek's recent doping case, calling out what she perceives as a double standard in tennis. The ITIA imposed a one-month ban on Świątek after the Polish star tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an August 2024 out-of-competition test.

Halep, who has been battling her own doping issues since 2022, questioned why she faced harsher treatment than Świątek. The Romanian, who served a provisional suspension after testing positive for roxadustat, was handed a four-year ban, despite her claims that the result was due to a tainted supplement. She later won her appeal, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling in her favor.

In an emotional Instagram post, Halep expressed frustration over the disparity in how the two cases were handled, stating, “I lost two years of my career… but I got justice. It turned out that my positive test was contamination, and the irregularities in my biological passport were fabricated.” She accused the ITIA of trying to "destroy" her career despite the evidence.