Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur & tennis world send their love to Simona Halep after Romanian's shocking retirement announcement

Paula Badosa, Ons Jabeur, and other tennis personalities extended their warm wishes to Simona Halep, upon her retirement. The Romanian shockingly announced that she would be hanging up her racket after her first-round loss at Transylvania Open.

On Tuesday, February 4, Halep took on Lucia Bronzetti at the WTA 250 event in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Days before, the 33-year-old had opened up about plans to retire amid persistent injury woes. However, not many expected it to be so soon.

After a 1-6, 1-6 defeat against Bronzetti, Halep addressed the home crowd. She stated that while she intended to continue playing tennis, she would not be playing at a competitive level.

Tributes flooded in for the two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Romanian. Paula Badosa, who practiced with Halep before the 2025 season, took to her Instagram to share a picture of herself greeting the Romanian after one of their matches. She captioned the image:

"Simona 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"

Paula Badosa's Instagram Story. (Image: Instagram @paulabadosa)

Ons Jabeur took to X to give her wishes to Halep, writing:

"Congrats Simona Halep for an amazing career❤️ It was an honor sharing the court with you. Wishing you all the best for the future 🙏🏼❤️"

World No. 120, Ana Bogdan, one of the top current Romanian players, credited Halep for creating a pathway for her compatriots in tennis.

World No. 64, Sorana Cirstea, also had some heartwarming words for her compatriot. In the post, Cristea and Halep shared a hug and cried after the latter's announcement. She added a long message for the now-retired tennis star.

American tennis legend, Billie Jean King, also shared an image with Halep and extended warm wishes. She took to X and wrote:

"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."

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A look at Simona Halep's retirement speech at the Transylvania Open in her home country

Simona Halep at the Transylvania Open 2025 - Source: Getty

During an emotional address to her home crowd in Cluj, Simona Halep reflected on her decision to step away from professional tennis, acknowledging a mix of joy and sadness.

"I don't know if it's with sadness or joy," she said. "I think 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," Simona Halep added.

Halep reflected on her performance against Lucia Bronzetti. The former World No. 1 shared that playing in front of her home fans, one last time, was important to her, even if her performance was not at its best.

"Even though my performance wasn't very good, it was still my soul and I'm very glad that you came. I wonder if I'll come back again, 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," she said.

Looking back on her illustrious career, Halep expressed gratitude for achieving her dreams—becoming World No. 1 and winning the French Open and Wimbledon. As she stepped into the next chapter of her life, she reassured her fans that she would remain involved in tennis and hoped to see them again.