Two-Time Grand Slam Champion Simona Halep Retires From Tennis After Return From Ban

Former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep on Tuesday (February 4) announced her retirement from tennis following the straight sets loss to Lucia Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open in Cluj.

Halep, who returned to the sport last year following an 18-month absence for doping violations, was outclassed by her Italian opponent, falling to a 6-1 6-1 loss in just under an hour in the first round of the tournament in her home country of Romania.

The Romanian conceded ahead of the tournament she had considered retiring from the sport as she continued to battle a niggling knee injury, and confirmed the news on court after her match.

"I don't know if it's with sadness or joy - I think I'm feeling both - but my soul is at peace with this decision, and I've always been realistic with myself. My body can no longer handle as much as it used to, to get me where I probably once was," Halep said, using a microphone to address the crowd in Cluj.

"It's very hard to reach that level, and I know what it takes to get there," Halep said. "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."

"To be competitive again requires much more, and at this moment, it's no longer possible," Halep added. "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."

It was the first match of the year for Halep, who reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in 2017 but is now 870th and was given a wild-card invitation to play in Romania.

She had pulled out of qualifying for the Australian Open and a tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, last month because of pain in her knee and shoulder, the latest interruption of her career.

Simona Halep Grand Slam Record

Halep once stood atop women's tennis, winning major singles trophies at Wimbledon in 2019 by beating Serena Williams in the final and at the French Open in 2018 by beating Sloane Stephens in the final. She also was a three-time runner-up at Grand Slam tournaments - at the Australian Open in 2018 and the French Open in 2014 and 2017.

Simona Halep Doping Ban

But her last appearance at a major event came at the 2022 U.S. Open, where she lost in the first round to Daria Snigur of Ukraine and tested positive for the banned drug Roxadustat, which was approved for use in the European Union in 2021 to treat the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure.

It stimulates the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has long been a doping product favored by cyclists and distance runners to boost stamina.

Halep initially was given a four-year ban that would have expired in 2026. But she appealed, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the penalty to nine months in March 2024. She argued that she was exposed to a contaminated supplement that caused her failed test.

Halep made her return to the tour later that month at the Miami Open but has played a total of only six matches since then. She leaves the sport with 24 singles titles and more than $40 million in prize money.