Tennis has been left reeling after former world number one Simona Halep’s shock decision to retire from the sport.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Halep said she had been considering retirement due to a “serious” knee injury just days ago.
However, this came not long after Halep said she couldn’t wait to be back playing again after being handed an Australian Open qualifying wildcard.
The 33-year-old later withdrew from the tournament due to knee and shoulder pain and then on Tuesday, Halep hung up her racquet altogether.
The Romanian announced her decision on court in an emotional statement to the crowd at the Transylvania Open following a 6-1 6-1 first-round loss to Lucia Bronzetti.
As Halep prepares for life after tennis, The Tennis Gazette has looked back on five standout moments from her illustrious career – both good and bad.
- READ MORE: Simona Halep explains what has really changed about tennis since Serena Williams stopped playing
1 – Simona Halep: A new tennis star is born
Halep began playing on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2005 at the age of just 13.
The following year she won all four ITF singles events she entered and also represented Romania at the Junior Fed Cup.
Aged 16, she became only the second player from her country to win a Junior Grand Slam title since Mariana Simionescu in 1974 by beating compatriot Elena Bogdan in three sets.
Reflecting on her triumph in 2020, she told Roland Garros’ website: “When I won the tournament here, I also became the Junior World No.1.
“That gave me a huge confidence boost which was really important at the time because it made me think that, if I could win the junior title, I could turn professional.”
2 – Halep becomes world number one for the first time
For a while, it looked like Halep would be one of the best players to never win a Grand Slam after losing in two French Open finals (2014 and 2017) and finishing runner-up in the WTA Finals (2014).
But the Romanian’s consistency on the WTA Tour helped her ascend to the summit of the rankings in October 2017 after reaching the final of the China Open.
The then 26-year-old usurped Spain’s Garbine Muguruza at the top of the rankings, as Halep became the first Romanian woman to achieve that lofty goal.
However, she admitted that being number one in the world without a Grand Slam means “you are not a real number one”.
But she didn’t have to wait too much longer to achieve her long-held dream.
- READ MORE: Rennae Stubbs surprised by what ‘angry’ Simona Halep has done recently which she feels is wrong
3 – Halep finally becomes a Grand Slam champion
Despite losing a third slam final, this time to Caroline Wozniacki at the 2018 Australian Open, Halep was focusing on the positives.
She told reporters after her defeat: “I did 100 per cent what I could today. That’s why I can say that I’m not sad for that. I’m sad that I lost the match, I was not the winner. But life goes on.”
She finally got over the line at Roland Garros later that year as she came from a set and a breakdown to prevail in three sets against Sloane Stephens.
When the momentous moment hit her, she dropped her racquet and covered her face with both hands, before a tearful Halep eventually climbed into the stands to celebrate with her family and coaching team.
In her post-match victory speech, an overjoyed Halep said: “I did everything I could. It is amazing what is happening now. I have been dreaming of this moment since I started playing tennis.”
Finally, she was a Grand Slam winner.
4. Halep beats Serena to win Wimbledon title
Halep entered SW19 as the seventh seed after an underwhelming first half of the 2019 season, where she failed to retain her French Open crown.
The 5ft 6in player, who was title-less heading into that year’s Wimbledon, romped into the final after losing just one set – but a formidable champion lay ahead of her.
Serena Williams was bidding for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam success but Halep pulled off a devastating display of athleticism and quality to win 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.
The then 27-year-old proclaimed it was the “best match” of her career, while Williams admitted her opponent “played out of her mind”.
In a game dominated by power players, Halep stood out from the crowd.
5. Former world number one Halep hit with doping ban
The two-time Grand Slam champion was handed a four-year ban in September 2023, 11 months on from testing positive for the banned substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.
It later emerged that abnormalities were found in Halep’s biological passport, a scientific tool used to examine indicators of doping, and the Romanian was unable to compete until October 2026.
After fighting her case for nearly two years, that ban was reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2024 – with Halep returning to tennis at last year’s Miami Open.
Incidentally, it wasn’t until Hong Kong last October when she won her first ATP match, with Halep saying the victory meant the “world to her”.
But now her glittering career is over. She will go down as one of the best players of her generation, despite the tail end of her career proving to be rather difficult.
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