By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Former world no.1 female tennis player Simona Halep announced on February 5, 2025, that she will hang up her racket for good.
After losing her Round of 32 duel against Lucia Bronzetti in the Transylvania Open, the Romanian ace confirmed in front of her fans that this would be her final match as a professional tennis player.
“I wanted to come here today in Cluj to play in front of you and say goodbye on the court to tennis,” Halep said.
After a roller coaster ride in the past five years of her career, Halep left a mark on the scene as one of the most resilient champions the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) witnessed.
A two-time Grand Slam queen from 2018-2019, Halep rose to stardom when she qualified in the semifinal round of the 2015 US Open.
Despite failing to advance to the championship stage, Halep continued to hone her craft and consistently grabbed a playoff spot in the next Grand Slam events.
She tasted her first major achievement in 2018 when she bagged the French Open title, followed by another golden trophy a year later in the most prestigious Wimbledon Grand Slam event.
However, it was the last time that Halep tased a title after receiving huge blows due to recurring injuries and doping scandals.
From 2022 to 2024, Halep’s career was in shambles after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) charged her with multiple doping violations.
From getting detected with prohibited anti-anemic medication to irregularities in her biological passport, the ITIA decided to suspend her for four years, but was immediately reinstated when Halep appealed to lower her sentence.
Halep successfully returned to the pro scene last year but failed to rekindle the spark she once had as she was still the world’s no. 1 female tennis player.
Some of Halep’s most unforgettable performances were against Sloane Stephens and the great Serena Williams, her two opponents when she won her Grand Slams.
“I don’t want to cry. It’s a beautiful thing. I became world No. 1, I won Grand Slams. It’s all I wanted. Life goes on. There is life after tennis and I hope we will see each other again,” added Halep.