Tennis star Simona Halep officially announced her retirement from professional tennis at the Transylvania Open on Tuesday, after a first-round loss. The 31-year-old Romanian cited the need for a more competitive approach to the sport as the reason for her decision. Halep, who has won Grand Slams and reached world number one, admitted that returning to the top level after a doping ban proved more challenging than anticipated.
Simona Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis on court at the Transylvania Open following her 6-1 6-1 first-round loss to Lucia Bronzetti. This week's event was just her fifth tournament since returning to the WTA Tour following a doping ban, a case which spanned almost two years. The Romanian, who once reached the pinnacle of the sport, said: 'It's a beautiful thing. I became world number one, I won Grand Slams, it's all I wanted.
Life goes on, there is life after tennis and I hope that we will see each other again. I'll come to the tennis here as often as I can and of course I will continue to play - but to be competitive it requires much more and at this moment it is no longer.'Halep, who won 22 other WTA Tour titles and spent 64 weeks as world number one, was handed a four-year ban for two separate doping offences after initially testing positive for a banned substance in August 2022. She always maintained her innocence and appealed against the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2024. She subsequently returned to the WTA Tour in March 2024 but played just six matches through to 2025 and won only once. Reflecting on her journey, Halep stated: 'Where I probably was, it's very hard to get there and I know what it means to get there.'Halep arrived at the 2022 US Open as a top-10 player who had just reached the last four at Wimbledon. It would have seemed ludicrous to suggest she would never win another tour-level match. But sporting careers can be very fragile and time lost to the ban and an unresponsive body made her realise quickly there would be no turning back the clock. She experienced moments of resilience and brilliance throughout her career, such as her comeback victory against Sloane Stephens at Roland Garros in 2018, overcoming a set and a break of serve down to avoid a fourth successive Grand Slam final defeat. And then at Wimbledon a year later when she beat Serena Williams in just 56 minutes on Centre Court in what she was sure was the best match of her life
SIMONA HALEP TENNIS RETIREMENT DOPING BAN TRANSYLVANIA OPEN WTA TOUR
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Simona Halep Announces Retirement After Transylvania Open DefeatTwo-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has announced her retirement from professional tennis after a crushing loss in her first match of 2025. The former world No. 1 played her farewell match at the Transylvania Open in Romania, losing to Italy's Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-1. In an emotional on-court interview, Halep stated that while her performance wasn't ideal, she felt it was the right time to step away from competitive tennis.
Read more »
Nottinghamshire Tennis Courts to Undergo Major RevampGedling Borough Council and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) have partnered to renovate the tennis courts in Conway Park, Carlton, as part of a £30 million nationwide project. The investment will create four new public tennis courts, improve accessibility with new gate access and booking systems, and offer weekly organized tennis sessions for all ages and abilities.
Read more »
Tennis Star Rodionova Announces Divorce and OnlyFans Debut After Australian Open ExitArina Rodionova, a professional tennis player, has made a surprising career pivot after a disappointing Australian Open exit. She announced her divorce from her husband and simultaneously launched an OnlyFans account, signaling her intention to explore new avenues for financial success.
Read more »
Aryna Sabalenka breaks silence on smashing racket following defeat in Australian Open finalThe Belarusian tennis star stormed off after sustaining defeat against underdog Madison Keys in Melbourne, Australia
Read more »
Teenagers Fading from Top 100 of Women's TennisThe number of teenage players in the WTA's top 100 has dramatically declined, with only one teenager, 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, remaining. Experts suggest factors like the increased power and speed of the game, and the rise of older, more experienced players, contribute to this trend.
Read more »
Tennis courts in Notts town park get major funding for big revampFour brand new public tennis courts will be open in time for Wimbledon 2025
Read more »