As she warms up in Miami, we don’t know why the court of arbitration for sport ruled so differently to the original tribunal
For a player of her stature, a former world No 1 for 64 weeks and a two-time grand slam champion, Simona Halep has often preferred to conduct her work in peace and remain outside of the spotlight. But all eyes will be on her this week as she makes her return to professional tennis for the first time in 19 months at the Miami Open after the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) reduced her four-year ban for intentional doping to nine backdated months, ruling that she was not guilty of intentional doping and allowing her to return to the court immediately.
The Romanian will begin with a notable first round match in Miami against Paula Badosa, a former world No 2, but a win would lead to a certified headline battle. Aryna Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and current world No 2, awaits the winner.