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Former world number one Simona Halep, whose career stalled due to a doping ban that was reduced on appeal this year, will step up her comeback at the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard for the qualifying tournament on Wednesday. The 33-year-old was provisionally suspended in October 2022 and later banned for four years, a period which was cut to nine months in March following an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Halep, who has denied knowingly taking the banned drug roxadustat, returned to action in Miami in March and last competed on the WTA Tour at Hong Kong, where she lost in the first round in October.
The former French Open and Wimbledon champion is currently ranked number 877 in the world. Meanwhile, Australian Cruz Hewitt will look to emulate his father Lleyton by making his Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open after organisers handed the 16-year-old a wildcard for the qualifying event that precedes the Jan. 12-26 major.
The senior Hewitt, a two-times Grand Slam singles champion who also reached number one in the world rankings, made his major debut as a 15-year-old at Melbourne Park in 1997 after an inspired run in the qualifying rounds..
