Simona Halep Announces Delay In Comeback

Simona Halep has been forced to withdraw from Australian Open qualifying after suffering another injury setback. The former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion had been given a wild card entry into the qualifying draw in Melbourne, aiming to restart her career following a suspension. Halep had initially returned to competitive tennis at the Miami Open in March after her four-year ban was reduced to nine months on appeal. However, her comeback has been plagued by injuries, limiting her to just four matches across three official events since her Miami defeat to Paula Badosa.

Halep recently competed in the World Tennis League exhibition in Abu Dhabi, facing top players like Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina. However, after experiencing persistent pain in her knee and shoulder during the event, she decided to delay the start of her 2025 season.

Announcement from Simona Halep

“Hi guys, I wanted to wish you all happy holidays and provide a little update,” Halep wrote on Instagram. “After playing in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately, I felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again. After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it’s sensible to delay the start of my season. It’s not what I wanted, but I would like to thank the tournament organizers in Auckland and Australia for the wildcards, and I’m sorry I won’t be able to take them this time. I will rest up and intend for my next event to be Cluj, where I can’t wait to play in front of the amazing Romanian fans.”

The Return So Far

Since her return, Halep has managed to play just one WTA-level event in Miami, where she exited in the opening round. Later in October, she participated in the Hong Kong Tennis Open, where she suffered another early-round defeat to Yuan Yue. Earlier that month, she secured her first win in over two years at the WTA 125 event in Hong Kong, defeating Arina Rodionova before losing to Anna Blinkova.

The 33-year-old had retired injured in May against McCartney Kessler at the Trophee Clarins event. Despite her illustrious career, including 24 WTA singles titles and a 67-week reign as World No. 1, Halep currently ranks herself outside the Top 800 at No. 877.

Halep’s next planned appearance is at the Transylvania Open in Cluj, set to begin on February 3rd. She was previously a finalist in the tournament’s inaugural edition in 2021, and the event marked a significant step in her attempt to regain form and consistency.

Halep’s career was significantly disrupted after testing positive for roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. Although she maintained her innocence and attributed the result to contaminated supplements, she was initially handed a four-year ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later reduced the suspension to nine months, allowing her to return in early 2024.