Simona Halep announces the withdrawal from tennis

Simona Halep retires. The Romanian tennis player, after being defeated with a double 6-1 by Lucia Bronzetti, announced the farewell to tennis. At his house, in the WTA 250 of Cluj-Napoca in Romania, he greeted the public, the team, his colleague and compatriot Sorana Cirstea with tears (also in tears) and his sport. A cry not only of sadness, as she admitted herself in the post match interview. “I don’t know if it’s sadness or joy, but I feel both emotions right now,” said the 33 -year -old two -time Slam champion.

Words

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The reasons for an announcement that was surprising, more for the timing than for the decision itself, are all in his words. “I take the decision with the soul in peace. – Halep explained immediately after the formalization – My body can no longer return to the first level “. “That’s why today I decided to come to Cluj, play in front of you and greet you on the tennis court,” he said to the home audience. He “promised not to cry”, but did not respect the word date. The moment a Cluj did not allow it: the emotions, positive and negative, also overwhelmed a champion like her.

A career in decline –

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Simona Halep won in a very competitive period for female tennis, dominated by Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Two Slam titles on the bulletin board: Roland Garros in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019. To these triumphs there are three lost finals, two in Paris and one at the Australian Open. For a number one in the world, before the ranking for a total of 64 weeks, the Romanian touched the peak and also the abyss of tennis. In August 2023, just before the US Open, a prohibited substance was positive for Roxadustat: the sentence is 4 years of disqualification. Halep appeals and the sentence is reduced to 9 months, but the distance from the field and the matches makes itself felt. Accidents chase her and the physical condition does not help her. The body said enough and Simona said enough.