Former world number one Simona Halep has announced her retirement from professional tennis after an emotional first-round loss at her home event in Cluj. The two-time Grand Slam champion reflects on her journey and future beyond the sport.
Simona Halep, a former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner, has officially retired from professional tennis. She made the announcement on Tuesday after losing in the first round at her home tournament in Cluj.
Halep, whose career had been disrupted by a doping ban that was later reduced, lost 6-1, 6-1 to Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti in her first match of 2025 before sharing her decision with the crowd.
The 33-year-old Romanian had already delayed her season due to knee and shoulder pain.
“I don’t know if it’s with sadness or joy—I think I feel both—but I make this decision with my soul at peace. I have always been realistic with myself,” Halep told the audience at the BT Arena.
“My body cannot take as much as it once did, and I know how hard it is to get back to that level. That’s why I wanted to come to Cluj today—to play in front of you and to say goodbye on the court.
“Who knows if I’ll ever return, but for now, this is my last match here. I don’t want to cry—it’s a beautiful thing. I became world number one, I won Grand Slams—everything I ever wanted. Life moves on, and there is life after tennis too.”
Halep had reached three Grand Slam finals before finally winning her first major at the French Open in 2018. She followed it up with a Wimbledon title in 2019.
Her career took an unexpected turn in 2022 when she was provisionally suspended after testing positive for roxadustat, a banned substance that boosts red blood cell production. Initially banned for four years, her suspension was later reduced to nine months after an appeal.
Reflecting on her time away from the sport, Halep admitted the break gave her a new perspective.
“Being away from the court, I realized how hard the last 15 years were—training every day, pushing yourself to the max no matter how you feel,” she said at a press conference.
“Maybe life means something else too. I came to understand that during this time, and I want to enjoy what I have now. I’ve done a lot in tennis. I am at peace, happy with what I accomplished, and I feel it’s time to look in another direction.”
Over the past year, Halep played in only four tournaments. She has always denied knowingly taking roxadustat, blaming contaminated supplements for her positive test.
“I am at peace. I know I didn’t do anything wrong in tennis, and I am clean, so I wasn’t mentally affected by it. But it did take me out of the game,” she said when asked if the ban contributed to her decision to retire.
“Maybe it was intentional, or maybe that’s just how the system works. But I am here, and I am emotionally well—that’s what matters most.”
Also Read: Jannik Sinner Wins Australian Open Again, Beats Zverev in Final