New Delhi: Two-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one Simona Halep announced her retirement from Tennis after losing against Lucia Bronzetti by 6-1, 6-1 in the first round of Transylvania Open.
Halep played in the WTA 250 event in Cluj as a wildcard entrant and had her fair share of injury concerns after she returned from the doping ban. She also got a wildcard entry in the Australian Open qualifying round earlier this year but pulled out of the hard court major. She also did not participate in the ASB Classic due to pain in her shoulder and knee.
She became the World No.1 in 2017 and after that she won her first major Grand Slam by beating Sloane Stephens in the final of the French Open. Halep also won Wimbledon by defeating the legendary Serena Williams in the final in 2019. She also played in the Australian Open final in 2018 but lost against Caroline Wozniacki.
Halep found herself in the doping controversy at the US Open 2022 after she tested positive for a banned drug named Roxadustat. She was handed a four-year ban which would have ended in 2026 but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced her ban to nine months. She made her comeback last year but didn’t look at her best. She retired from tennis with 24 career titles.
Simona Halep has announced her retirement.
Best wishes in the next chapter, @Simona_Halep! 💙 pic.twitter.com/yzmfQ3UgD3
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) February 4, 2025
‘I will continue to play tennis, but to be competitive it requires much more’: Simona Halep
Halep after the match against Bronzetti said that she doesn’t know if it’s with sadness or joy but she’s making this decision as she has always been realistic with herself and her body.
She further said that she wanted to come here in Cluj to play in front of the fans and say goodbye on the court. Halep also said that even though her performance wasn’t very good, it was still her soul, and she thanked the fans for coming to watch her.
“I wonder if I’ll come back again. But for now, this is the last time I’ve played here. I don’t want to cry, it’s a beautiful thing. I became World No. 1, I won Grand Slams, it’s all. Life goes on, there is life after tennis and I hope we will see each other again. Of course, I will continue to play tennis, but to be competitive it requires much more, and at this moment, it is no longer possible” Halep added.
Former world no.1 Simona Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis after losing to Lucia Bronzetti in the first round of the Transylvania Open Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
