Simona Halep had to make a big decision as a teenager.
Simona Halep left competitive sports at the beginning of the year. PDO
Romanian tennis star who ended his career at the beginning of the year Simona Halep34, recalled the health problems of his youth in a video he shared on social media.
Halep told how the scary situation in training put her on the verge of a big question. Halep had just won the 2008 French Open girls tournament as a 16-year-old. After some time in training, Halep’s body froze completely.
– I couldn’t move. I was so scared and started crying. It completely broke me, Halep recalled.
Halep suffered from spinal problems caused by her large breasts. The doctors let it be understood that it is pointless for Halep to imagine a career at the top of tennis in that situation.
– I was 17 years old. It was far too early to make such a decision, but it was either or. I knew that without surgery I would not be able to play tennis at the top of the world.
Halep knew she was promising and that the top of the world was within reach. Her breasts were reduced by surgery in 2009.
– I knew that the sacrifice was worth the journey to the top. Everyone builds their own future. The first step is to believe that you can get where you want to go.
Halep started approaching the top of the world in the first half of the 2010s. In the latter half, the Romanian was one of the best in the world. He won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019. He was number one in the world ranking for a total of 64 weeks.
In September 2023, Halep received a four-year ban for doping, but the ban was later shortened to nine months. Halep’s doping sample showed signs of using a substance called Roxadustat.
Prize money Halep earned more than 40 million dollars in her career.
In 2019, Halep beat Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final. EPA / AOP