"You were a big inspiration" – Tennis world reacts to Simona Halep's retirement
WTA
Simona Halep has had an extraordinary career on the WTA Tour, achieving remarkable success and securing her place among the sport's greats. However, in a shock announcement, the former world number one revealed that she is retiring from professional tennis after her first-round loss at the Transylvania Open.
Many top tennis stars have reacted to the news, showing respect and admiration for Halep’s incredible journey.
A legendary career
Halep can walk away from the sport knowing she has had a phenomenal career. The 33-year-old is a former world number one, a French Open and Wimbledon champion, and the first Romanian player to achieve the top ranking.
Throughout her career, Halep thrilled fans with her incredible shot-making, winning the WTA Shot of the Year award twice (2018, 2021). After serving a nine-month suspension, she returned to action at the Miami Open in 2024. However, injuries have taken a toll, and following a 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Lucia Bronzetti, Halep officially announced her retirement.
In an emotional farewell speech, Halep reflected on her decision.
"I don't know if it's sadness or joy," she said. "Both feelings are trying me, but I'm making this decision with my soul, and I have always been realistic with myself and my body.
"It takes long to get 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 on the field of tennis."
Despite the disappointing result, Halep remained grateful for her career and the chance to say goodbye on the court.
"Even though my performance wasn't very good, it was still my soul, and I'm glad you came. I wonder if I'll return, but for now, it's the last time I have played here, and I don't want to cry. It's a beautiful thing. I became World No. 1, and I won Grand Slams. It's all I wanted."
Reactions from the tennis world
Following Halep’s announcement, many players and tennis legends shared their messages of support.
Paula Badosa took to social media, expressing her admiration for Halep.
"Simona, I wish you all the best in your new chapter! You were a big inspiration for me. Your tennis and fight would be missed. Happy life, champion."
Tennis legend Billie Jean King also paid tribute to Halep’s career.
"2x Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Simona Halep is retiring from tennis. Simona is an incredible athlete and has won more WTA titles (24) than any woman Romanian tennis player in history. Best of luck in the next steps of your journey, Simona."
Halep’s retirement marks the end of an era. Her remarkable career and achievements have left a lasting impact on the sport, and she will be remembered as one of the greatest players to grace the game.
BREAKING:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 4, 2025
Simona Halep has retired from professional tennis.
It’s tough to see such a great champion leave the sport.
She poured so much love and energy into her craft every day that she chose to play tennis.
And she inspired countless people along the way.
It’s fitting… pic.twitter.com/0kGyTwzfIS
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- No, writer, we were not "stunned". If you knew your business you would have been aware of her statement last weekend re: her knee and retirement. The main take-away here is that Simona went out on her own terms. She surely wanted to play again after WTA & ITIA screwed her out of her final productive seasons. Personally, I believed she was going to make this announcement when I saw the President and his family in their box seats. Good for Simone -- now she can move on to other things as she said she would.
mandoist04-02-2025 - It sounds seriously absurd that in Davis Cup, (unlike Grand Slams such as the Aus Open), medical time outs off court with the medical staff are not allowed?? I mean, if this was an Aus Open match, and the same thing happened to Gurin then, he would have been able to go off court for official medical time out and make an informed decision whether to resume the match or retire. How come such conditions do not apply in Davis Cup?? I mean, there with Davis Cup, it is even more like a soccer match or basketball game in that teams are playing. And so as with those, it ought to be the case in tennis that if a player needs serious medical time out, then one of the other team mates ought to substitute and each team needs to have stand-ins or understudies in case substitution is needed which will be rare but as we can see here, this kind of circumstance fits. But even if the teams do not go down the road of subbing other team mates in, in case of a health issue like the one which played out here, at least, as in the Aus Open and other Grand Slams, there ought to be time-outs with the health professionals and at the conclusion of these time-outs, the particular decision that has been reached between them and the player needs to be taken on board by the umpire. PERIOD.
Sueiyin04-02-2025 - "If Novak did this, he would be defaulted for life. WTF." 🤣 WTF sounds like What Tennis Fury?! What Tennis Flurry??! I mean, se-rious-ly, it was actually the unfairness of the silly umpire's decision that is the issue here! Further, how come it was Gurin & his team who got disqualified? If this kind of thing happens in soccer, it would be the other guy getting the yellow or red card! Because after all, it was the Belgian who's foul it was so why then penalize the opponents for something they didn't instigate? Fouls in both basketball and soccer are read as a hinderance that has been caused by the player who INITIALLY instigated the hinderance. In this case, okay, it is tennis, but while the precise rules are different to either soccer or basketball, the same type of recognition as to whoever instigates a hinderance should apply, and in this case, it was the Belgian player.Sueiyin04-02-2025
- Medvedev talking to his form here. "Some actual deep problem." 🤣😂🤣MrAndreeva03-02-2025
- "Hopefully, the team around her will help... " Actually, the lack thereof seems to have been part of the problem(s). Another possibility is that, while dealing with legitimate surgeries, withdrawing, and otherwise passing on events, the competition has stepped-up in intensity while she was busy with traveling, photo shoots, and TV commercials.mandoist03-02-2025
- Ha-ha-ha... Translation: I'll help as long as I don't have to meet in person and endure the ongoing BS"mandoist03-02-2025
- Well said.mandoist03-02-2025
- So tennisuptodate doesn't even make this event a headline on this site? I had to find it hidden here. Not a word about Yastremska trying to ruin Alexandrova's celebration with her postgame actions?? According to WTA regulations, Yastremska has some punishment coming her way for walking-off court, blowing-off postgame rituals with the winner; including no photos, etc.mandoist03-02-2025
- "So while perhaps the big issue of having to wait for a call-up is there, so is the coaching carousel. .." Well, there you go. Emma's 'career' in one precise sentence. Sponsors bailing-out on her will follow (so far, only Porsche and Dior).mandoist02-02-2025
- Typical narcissistic cynicism of Kyrgios! Very rarely has a decent word to say about anything. He's abusive, jeeringly loud and obnoxious. He needs to be officially called out by both the ATP and ITF for using foul language in public spaces such as social media. The guy's a vampiric hoon who sucks the lifeblood out of tennis by trying to bolster popularity of the good-for-nothing bad boy image. I once admired Kyrgios for his previous good-willed willingness to get honest help for his mental health issues but that all went down the drain once he figured he could reel money in through publicity stunts using the negativity of his problems in such a way as to declare them 'no longer problems' but something which he could become more entangled in just to boost an anti-hero image. Shame on him for turning his back on common human decency and good-willed fraternity. Instead he opts to make a 'hero' out of villany. I'm sorry Nick but u are only doing more harm to yourself in the long run by trying to serve up a bad name for the sport you claim to so proudly represent. Get real mate, tennis is not for hoons, neither is hoon-behaviour the hallmark of sporting integrity. It's an utter disgrace!Sueiyin02-02-2025
