Simona Halep makes shocking retirement announcement after Transylvania Open loss

Simona Halep has stunned fans with a shocking announcement, revealing her retirement from tennis. Her decision came after her loss at the Transylvania Open on Tuesday, February 4.

The WTA 250 tournament in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, marked Halep's first event of the 2025 season, but it didn’t go as planned. She suffered a tough opening-round defeat to Lucia Bronzetti, losing 1-6, 1-6.

Following her defeat, Halep shocked everyone by announcing that it was the last match of her career—fittingly taking place in her homeland. She also shared an emotional moment by hugging Sorana Cîrstea.

The 33-year-old then embraced her father, Stere, and mother, Tania, along with several members of her support team. To mark the moment, she tossed her racket into the crowd, bringing an unforgettable end to her iconic career.

Simona Halep has previously spoken about contemplating retirement, most recently in an interview with Golazo, where she admitted that the thought crosses her mind often.

“Of course, I think about retirement, and it crosses my mind very often. I am old, I have injuries that I can’t recover from. My knee is not recovering. I have always said that tennis is not life in its entirety," she said.

She was granted a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying last month but was unable to compete due to injury.

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A look into Simona Halep's retirement speech

Simona Halep pictured at the WTA 250 Transylvania Open | Image Source: Getty

During her retirement speech after losing to Lucia Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Simona Halep appeared emotional as she bid her farewell. She expressed a mix of sadness and joy, admitting that reaching the top level she once played at was now very difficult.

"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," she added.

Halep then reflected on her performance against Bronzetti, admitting it wasn’t her best. However, she expressed contentment with her career, which saw her win 24 titles, including two Majors at Wimbledon and the French Open.

"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.

The Romanian added:

"Life goes on, there is life after tennis and I hope we will see each other again. As often as possible I will come to tennis. I will continue to play tennis but to be competitive, it requires much more and at this moment, it isn't possible."