Simona Halep has endured a grueling journey, battling through a torturous doping ban and a difficult fight to return to the WTA Tour, but her comeback has been anything but smooth. Now, at 33 years old, Halep is facing a challenging path back to top form, as she navigates not only the pressures of getting back into rhythm but also the harsh reality of a possible retirement due to a serious knee injury.
After clearing her name in March 2024 and being allowed to return to the sport, the former world No. 1 quickly encountered knee problems. This injury has limited her to just four tournaments in her comeback year, and it has forced her to miss the start of the 2025 season, including the Australian Open.
Despite winning just one match since her comeback, Halep is determined to press on, with her 2025 season officially beginning on Tuesday when she faces Lucia Bronzetti in the first round at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Despite her determination, she made it clear in a conversation with local reporters that her situation remains far from ideal.
“Of course I think about retirement, and it crosses my mind very often. I’m old, I have injuries that I can’t recover from. The knee is not recovering,” Halep confessed, via Romanian publication Golazo.
The two-time…
