'Did She Do It Fair?': Former Player Questions Halep's Possible Hall-of-Fame Induction
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Simona Halep certainly had a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, but former ATP player Jimmy Arias still wouldn't vote for her to be inducted.
Halep was one of the most successful WTA tennis players in the 21st century. She reached the World No. 1 rank in 2017, won her first Grand Slam title in 2018, and added another one in 2019. She won 24 career titles and sometimes challenged even Serena Williams.
In fact, only two players have won more in prize money in their careers on the WTA Tour than Halep. The Romanian player has earned a total of $40,232,663, and only Venus Williams and Serena Williams have earned more, which shows how successful Halep was.
But her career was also overshadowed by a doping scandal. The 33-year-old player tested positive for roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. She initially received a four-year suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
Her suspension was later reduced to only nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and even though that allowed Halep to return to the sport immediately last year, she never had the success that she enjoyed previously.
The Romanian player struggled with injuries, which is why she has decided to end her career at the 2025 Transylvania Open in Cluj. With Halep's career now over, a conversation about her possible inclusion in the Hall of Fame has started.
Former ATP World No. 5, Jimmy Arias, discussed the topic during the Tennis Channel broadcast, and he admitted that he "wouldn't want to" vote for Halep's induction into the Hall of Fame.
"I wouldn't want to, there's obviously an asterisk next to her name. You're always going to think about it. The results are there, the titles are there. The 40 million in prize money will still be there, which is nice for her."
Arias has doubts about whether Halep won her Grand Slam titles "fair and square," even though the Romanian player tested positive three years after the best years of her tennis career.
Halep's peak came between 2017 and 2019, and when she tested positive in 2022, she was trying to come back to the top again after struggling in the previous season.
"But it's difficult because there's that question mark of 'did she do it fair and square or was there a little edge' and how many matches was it? We kind of don't know the answer. So it just makes it difficult, and I'm glad I'm not someone that votes on who gets in the Hall of Fame."
Still, it remains to be seen whether Halep will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, she wouldn't be the first player to do that if she did.
Maria Sharapova also served a doping suspension during her tennis career, and she was voted to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
