Simona Halep will step onto a tennis court once again when she takes part in an exhibition in her home country.
Halep left her fans worldwide devastated when she suddenly retired after a 1-6, 1-6 defeat to Lucia Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca. There was no indication that she planned to do that before the tournament.
The two-time Grand Slam champion had attempted to make a comeback when her doping ban ended in March last year. Unfortunately, she struggled for form and fitness before electing to hang up her racket.
However, that move does not mean Halep will completely step away from the sport. That has been proven by the Romanian confirming to gsp.ro during the Romanian Sports Gala that will go to an exhibition in Iasi, although it is currently the only one planned for 2025.
"I will go to Iasi. It’s the only exhibition match planned this year. I don’t know what it will be. I will gladly honor all the invitations I receive and we will see."
Some have wondered whether Halep might return to tennis. Her retirement was so abrupt and in the heat of the moment after a rough loss on home soil that she could have been acting impulsively.
However, the 2019 Wimbledon Champion knows what decision is best for her. Undoubtedly, it was challenging to accept the way her career unraveled in the last few years after being at the top for so long.
Halep initially received a four-year ban from the International Tennis Integrity Agency after testing positive for roxadustat in 2022. That was followed by a lengthy process, which many condemned for leaving Halep in limbo for so long.
Ultimately, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban from four years to nine months. That allowed her to immediately return since she had already served significantly longer than that provisionally and because of the original four-year suspension.
Halep's comeback started promisingly with a narrow defeat to Paula Badosa at the 2024 Miami Open. Competing so well against a player as good as Badosa made many hopeful that she would get even better.
Sadly, Halep sustained an injury at a clay court tournament a few weeks later. She eventually returned a few months later but never returned to a high level, leading to the 33-year-old's eventual retirement.
It has been years since Halep was at the top of the WTA and easily beating lower-ranked opponents. A new generation is now doing that, and women's tennis may be set for a new golden age.
While Halep's presence is undoubtedly missed, Coco Gauff, who remarkably won at the Miami Open against Sofia Kenin without dropping a game, Mirra Andreeva, Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and others are ready to push the women's game to a new level.
17-year-old Andreeva's winning back-to-back Masters 1000 titles at the 2025 Dubai Championships and 2025 Indian Wells Open made a statement to her rivals that she was ready to reach the top.
Although it was only one victory, Gauff will be pleased to respond so emphatically against Kenin after a dip in form since the 2025 Australian Open.
