Entertainment Sports Tennis Star Simona Halep Provisionally Suspended After Failing Drug Test "I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out," Halep wrote on Friday By Natasha Dye Natasha Dye Natasha Dye is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE covering sports. Her previous work appears in The New York Post and Popstar! Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 21, 2022 01:13PM EDT Photo: Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep said she had "the biggest shock" of her life when she was notified her drug tests came back positive this month. The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed on Friday that Halep, 31, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substances. The Romanian tennis star provided the sample during the US Open in August, but wasn't notified of the results until October 7. Her sample was divided into A and B samples, both of which returned positive results for roxadustat, a prohibited substance in the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. During the provisional suspension, Halep is ineligible to compete in or attend any sanctioned tennis events. Tennis Champ Simona Halep Undergoes Nose Surgery to Correct Breathing Issues and for 'Aethetics' Javier Garcia/BPI/Shutterstock. Halep has denied using the substance and told her followers on social media that she'll begin "a fight for the truth" that she expects to be "the hardest match of" her life. "Throughout my whole career, the idea of cheating never even crossed my mind once," Halep wrote, explaining that cheating "is totally against all the values" she's been taught. Halep said she is feeling "completely confused and betrayed" while dealing with "such an unfair situation." Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Gave Simona Halep an 'Extra Boost' to Win Wimbledon "I will fight until the end to prove that I never knowingly took any prohibited substance and I have faith that sooner or later, the truth will come out." Halep wrote that her motivation isn't "about the titles or the money," but instead, "It's about honor, and the love story I have developed with the game of tennis over the last 25 years." Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Halep is the first Romanian woman to be ranked world No. 1 and the first to win a Wimbledon singles title. She nabbed the number-one ranking in 2017 and 2018, and along with her 2019 Wimbledon title, Halep won the 2018 French Open. But she struggled with injuries over the next two years, and fell out of the top 10. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Prior to her suspension, Halep underwent surgery on her nose in September, and had planned to take the rest of 2022 off from tennis. Simona Halep/Twitter Halep posted a lengthy note on Twitter, explaining that the surgery was partially to correct a breathing issue, and for her own self-esteem. "I felt it's the right time to do it and also for myself as a person," she shared. "That is why I did also the [a]esthetic part that I wanted to do for a long time, as I did not like my nose at all," she added. She went on to admit that she was "completely exhausted mentally" after the US Open and had breathing problems that led to the surgery. "Having problems with the breathing for many years already and becoming worse with time, I decided to follow the advice of my doctors and do the needed surgery," she said.