Two-time tennis grand slam winner and former world No 1 Simona Halep has officially announced her retirement from tennis. The former French Open and Wimbledon winner had her career tarnished by the 2022 Doping saga that ruined her incredible run in tennis.
The Romanian tennis star played in the WTA Cluj-Napoca tournament in her home country. She lost to Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 6-1 in straight sets and after the massive defeat, she announced her retirement from the game. But she will be remembered for all her achievements and records in her nearly two-decade tennis career.
Here is Simona Halep's complete Tennis journey
Early Tennis career
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The 33-year-old turned pro in 2006 and was moving up the Top 100 WTA rankings. In 2010, she made her first grand slam debut at the French Open tournament but lost in the first round. Then she lost in the qualifying round of Wimbledon but was accepted in the main draw for the US Open that year. She lost against the then tennis No. 4 seed Jelena Jankovic in the first round.
First WTA title wins and Grand Slams.
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2013 was the breakthrough year for Halep as she won the Nuremberg Cup, Rosmalen Grass court championship and Budapest Grand Prix in the same year. But she had to wait till the 2018 season to win her first grand slam, the French Open title. In 2019, halep became the Wimbledon champion after defeating tennis great Serena Williams.
Doping Scandal and Suspension
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In 2022, Halep was caught in a doping scandal as the ITIA found out banned substance in her body. The tribunal suspended her and banned her for four years which was too harsh for the Romanian. But Halep appealed to the governing body and reduced the multi-year ban to nine months.
Injury and Retirement
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Halep was announced as a wild car entry for the Australian Open, but simona withdrew from the grand slam, citing a knee and shoulder injury. She has now retired after she lost the Transylvania Open before her home fans. Despite being one of the most controversial tennis players, Halep is known for her outstanding movement abilities on the court.
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In her retirement note, she said "Thank you Mom and Dad for being there for me. I was lucky to have parents like these. My parents did everything to get me where I wanted to be. I wish all parents to support their children, trust in them, and never argue with them because we always do our best and want to do right, even if sometimes we don't." Let's wish her all the best for her next journey.
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