Simona Halep, the former world No. 1 and two-time grand slam champion, has retired from professional tennis. The 33-year-old Romanian athlete announced her decision at the Transylvania Open in Cluj, Romania, on Tuesday. Her announcement followed a first-round exit from the tournament, marking the end of an illustrious career that saw her secure 24 WTA singles titles.
Halep spent an impressive 64 weeks as the women's world No. 1, a testament to her dominance on the court. She achieved her first grand slam victory at the French Open in 2018, followed by a commanding performance at Wimbledon in 2019. Her Wimbledon triumph, notably against Serena Williams, was marked by near-flawless play as she committed just three unforced errors and wrapped up the final in under an hour.
“To be competitive again requires much more, and at this moment, it’s no longer possible,” – Simona Halep
In September 2023, Halep faced a significant setback when she received a four-year ban after testing positive for Roxadustat, a banned substance, at the 2022 US Open. Halep maintained that her anti-doping violations were unintentional. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concurred with her defense and reduced her backdated ban to nine months. Despite returning to the sport after serving the reduced penalty, Halep struggled with injuries that impacted her performance on the court.
The Romanian star's decision to retire comes as she acknowledges the challenges of reaching and maintaining the pinnacle of competitive tennis.
“I don’t want to cry. This is something beautiful. I reached world No. 1. I won grand slams; it’s everything I ever wanted.” – Simona Halep
Halep expressed her gratitude and emotions during her retirement speech, reflecting on her journey and achievements in tennis.
“It’s very hard to reach that level, and I know what it takes to get there,” – Simona Halep
Addressing her fans in Cluj, Halep shared her desire to say farewell on familiar ground.
“That’s why I wanted to be here today, in Cluj, to play in front of you and say goodbye on the tennis court, even if my performance wasn’t great.” – Simona Halep
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