Romanian superstar Simona Halep leaves behind a remarkable legacy

Dubai: Retirement in any sport can be unsettling. Some are expected and some come as a total shock. On Tuesday, former World No 1 Simona Halep announced her big decision to retire from tennis after her first round match at the Transylvania Open in Cluj, Romania.

“I don’t know if it is with joy or sadness that I speak to you but I made this decision in my soul and conscience, I have always been realistic with myself. My body no longer follows, but today I wanted to play and say my goodbyes on the court,” Halep, a two-time Dubai Open title winner, told her home crowd.

It’s not the early loss that triggered her decision. The 33-year-old is known for her comebacks, her ability to battle past odds. Her grand slam quest ran on a similar script. She endured heartbreaks at her first Grand Slam final at the French Open in 2014 and again in the same event in 2017.

She lost to Maria Sharapova in a hard-fought three-setter (6—4, 6—7 (5—7), 6—4) in 2014 before falling to Jelena Ostapenko in 2017 again in three sets (4—6, 6—4, 6—3).

Halep’s luck for a grand slam title kept eluding her, losing the 2018 Australian Open final to Caroline Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6, 6-4. The win made Wozniacki the first Dane to win a major singles title.

But these losses didn’t shatter Halep’s confidence. She overcame heartbreaks to finally go all the way, taking the French Open title the same year for her first Grand Slam, defeating Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

But it was the second grand slam title that she won against a mighty Serena Williams at the 2019 Wimbledon final that showed her resilience. A clear underdog, she put on a sublime performance to win 6-2, 6-2 against the seven-time Wimbledon champion who had just returned from her maternity leave.

Portia Archer, CEO of the WTA said: “Simona’s talent and dedication to our sport has left its mark, solidifying her status as one of the greatest tennis players of her generation. Alongside her remarkable on-court performances and achievements, Simona forged a special connection with sports fans across Romania and around the world. She will be greatly missed. On behalf of the WTA family, I wish Simona much happiness and continued success in the future.”

Injuries and doping

The former world No 1 hasn’t consistently competed on the WTA Tour in the past three years since her doping ban in October 2022. She tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid roxadustat at the 2022 US Open, which attracted a four-year suspension. But Halep contested it and was cleared to return last March after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her doping ban to nine months.

But despite returning to the fold in February 2024, Halep featured in just two tour-level events and two challenger-level tournaments, which didn’t go well for her.

She earned a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying round this season but unfortunately, the Romanian star later withdrew after struggling with shoulder and knee injuries.

With minimal participation on the tour, Halep’s injury woes took a substantial toll.

“The knee injury I have is quite serious and difficult to recover from. I don’t know if I’m afraid to push myself, but when I feel pain, it’s hard to play at my highest level. It’s very difficult to get back to where I was, especially after such a long break. The thought of retiring crossed my mind very often. I’ve reached an age where I have injuries that are hard to recover from,” said Halep, who has spent more than a decade in the top 10, the eighth-longest streak in WTA history.

Her decision to end her professional career has shocked many of her fans, but the Romanian superstar leaves behind a remarkable legacy.

“Life goes on. There is life after tennis, too. And I hope to see you again as often as possible,” she said.