Retired from tennis at the beginning of 2025, Simona Halep (34 years old) recounted the moment when she decided to hang up her racket.
Simona revealed in foreign media that nothing was set in stone regarding her retirement when she stepped onto the court for her last match against Lucia Bronzetti in Cluj-Napoca.
The former world number one stated that during the match, she felt unable to cope due to medical issues and that her place was no longer on the tennis court.
"I had been thinking about retiring for a while, but I wasn't decided when I stepped onto the court in Cluj-Napoca. I felt that it wasn't my place on the court anymore! Physically. I had a knee injury, I was in pain. After losing the first set, I decided that I would stop after the match.
I went to my parents and told them that I wanted to stop, and they said 'Ok, announce it.' No one knew, that's how it happened.
I never had doubts after I retired. That means that inside me, probably, I know I made the right decision. And I feel it now. I think it was the best thing," stated Simona Halep, as reported by The National.
Simona Halep was defeated by Lucia Bronzetti, with a score of 1-6, 1-6, in Cluj Napoca, in February. This was her final official match in her career.