FORMER WORLD number one Simona Halep has announced her retirement after suffering a resounding defeat in her first match of 2025.
Halep belatedly got her season underway in her home event, the Transylvania Open, in Romania on Tuesday, after being handed a wildcard.
But the two-time Grand Slam champion won just two games as Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti powered to a 6-1 6-1 victory in just 59 minutes.
Speaking in an emotional on-court interview, Halep said: “Tonight, I don’t know if it’s with joy or sadness, I think both feelings are trying me but I’m making this decision with my soul.
“I’ve always been realistic with myself and with my body.
“Where I probably was, it’s very hard to get there and I know what it means to get there. That’s why I wanted to come here today in Cluj to play in front of you and say goodbye.
“Even though my performance wasn’t very good it was still my soul and I’m very glad you came, and I’ll wonder if I’ll come back again. But for now it’s the last time I’ve played here and I don’t want to cry.
“It’s a beautiful thing. I became world number one, I won grand slams, it’s all I wanted. Life goes on, there is life after tennis and I hope that we will see each other again.
“I’ll come to the tennis here as often as I can and of course, I will continue to play — but to be competitive it requires much more and at this moment it is no longer.”
Halep, who was given a four-year doping ban that was reduced to nine months due to a contaminated supplement, last competed on the WTA Tour in October in Hong Kong.
The 33-year-old also played in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in December, but subsequently pulled out of qualifying for the Australian Open, citing pain in her knee and shoulder.
Earlier this week Halep admitted that retiring “goes through my mind very often.”
She told Romanian site Golazo.ro: “I am old, I have injuries that I can’t recover from. My knee is not recovering.”
Hooper is somewhat of an anomaly in that he’s a world class 7 that’s basically never been injured for any notable length of time. Not even 29 and nearly a test centurion. Remarkable when you consider how brutal the game is physically these days.
Hopefully, someone will pick up the broadcast rights over here. The quality in the Top League has been “mixed” in recent years with some big name players on the downswing of their careers chasing a last big payday but there seems to be a real uptick in the quality of players & coaches heading there for next season, so it could make for interesting viewing.
@Del McG: yuuuuuuuppppaaaaa
Why, what is the point of playing in Japan. Its understandable in your mid 30s at the end of your career but in his prime why wouldn’t he move to England or France. Probably get the same money and will play a very competitive level of rugby, rather than just collect a pay check and play in a mickey mouse league
@s mc: you answered your own question there chief
@s mc: Big bucks, not as far from home, can basically stay match fit for a return to Super Rugby and the Wallabies when this passes. Will likely get a big contract in France for a couple of years when he calls it quits on his Wallaby career if he still wants to play at a high level.
@s mc: Even though he has had a break, in Japan he can earn the same money as he would in England and France, and its a lot easier on his body. Who wouldn’t take the easier money?
@Kingshu: I would rather look back on career and have won another meaningful tournament than protecting myself.
@s mc: It may beca longer career to look back on, by taking the Japan option
@s mc: Lad, it’s not that hard. He’s not retiring. He’ll be closer to 29 than 30 when this finishes. Consider it a gap year type arrangement. Still opportunities to win trophies but he’s filling the rugby career dead space with a bit of pick up ball that he gets paid really well for. He’ll do the 6 months, pocket a pay check and slot back in as a world class operator with 4-5 years at the top left in him when it’s done. It’s the smart decision for a guy who’s been playing elite back row rugby for 11 years already.
@s mc: yes