Simona Halep reveals she really made a retirement determination mid-match towards Lucia Bronzetti after coming to phrases that her knee was dangerous to the purpose the place it was principally unimaginable for her to play.
After battling for a 12 months and a half to clear her title, Halep made a post-doping ban return in March 2024. Shortly after returning, the previous two-time Grand Slam champion picked up a knee harm – and after taking a five-month break to handle the problem – the Romanian returned in October. The Romanian ended up taking part in three matches throughout two tournaments earlier than the identical harm compelled her to overlook the beginning of 2025.
Nevertheless, Halep signed as much as play Cluj-Napoca. And whereas she managed to kick off her 2025 season in entrance of her dwelling followers, it was all however a memorable marketing campaign since she was ousted by Lucia Bronzetti 1-6 1-6 in simply 59 minutes.
Moments after the defeat, the 34-year-old Romanian tennis icon took a microphone and introduced she was retiring from professional tennis.
Halep: My retirement was not determined after I entered the courtroom in Cluj-Napoca
“I thought of it for some time, but it surely was not determined after I entered the courtroom that in that match I might retire. However I felt like my place shouldn’t be there anymore. I felt bodily, I used to be injured with my knee and I used to be in ache. So after I misplaced the primary set, I made up my thoughts and I mentioned, ‘I'm going to cease after this,'" the previous world No. 1 advised The Nationwide.
When Halep performed her final match, she nonetheless hadn't turned 34 years outdated. When requested if she thought of presumably returning to tennis, the previous two-time Grand Slam champion rapidly shut down that possibility.
“No, by no means. So in all probability that implies that, inside myself, it was the best determination. And now I really feel it. I feel it was the perfect factor," Halep famous.
