Simona Halep can still count on having Darren Cahill in her corner as she fights to clear her name.

Halep revealed Friday that she had tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the US Open, where she was stunned in the first round by qualifier Daria Snigur. The Romanian had already ended her 2022 season due to undergoing a nose procedure to address breathing issues before being notified by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) about “the biggest shock of my life” on October 7.

Cahill, who guided Halep to the top of the WTA singles rankings in October 2017 and her maiden major trophy at 2018 Roland Garros during a six-year partnership, declared in a lengthy Instagram post, “Firstly, and most importantly, there is NO chance Simona knowingly or purposely took any substance on the banned list. None. Zero.”

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The 57-year-old Australian continued his message speaking to Halep’s character, one he believes centers around being truthful and honorable. Wrote Cahill, “Simona’s integrity is faultless, she respects her peers, she loves the game and she always has her feet firmly planted on the ground as a humble, approachable champion.”

He later asserted, “Honesty has always been her greatest strength and her biggest weakness. We would often laugh about the fact that she can’t act and can’t tell a little white lie.”

Halep and Cahill mutually ended their collaboration in September 2021. In April, the 2019 Wimbledon title holder announced she was working with Patrick Mouratoglou. After reaching the Wimbledon semifinals, Halep triumphed in Toronto for her 24th tour-level trophy.

After a brief stint with Amanda Anisimova, Cahill joined Jannik Sinner's team ahead of Wimbledon.