Simona Help is a 33-year-old professional Romanian tennis player who was formally ranked one globally for 64 weeks by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). In her career, Halep won the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. She was known and loved most by fans for having a positive attitude and a solid game.
Unfortunately, Halep was suspended in October of 2022 for testing positive on Roxadustat- a drug that stimulates red blood cell production and is often used in anemic adults with chronic kidney disease. Roxadustat is a banned substance because the increase in red blood cell production betters endurance, causing it to be performance-enhancing. However, Halep has denied the allegations since the blood test results came out and claims that she was ingesting the drug through a dietary pill without knowing. Her four-year suspension was cut to nine months, but frequent injuries prevented her from peaking on the court again.
Although the end of Halep’s career was cut short by suspension and injuries, there is no doubt that she changed the game for everyone. According to the WTA, “Halep is one of only 29 women in 50 years of the WTA Rankings to reach No. 1 and finishes with 24 titles and more than $40 million in prize money. Perhaps most remarkably, for seven consecutive years, from 2014-2020, she finished among the Top 5.” Halep gave motivation to all young athletes through her phenomenal record.
On February 4th, 2025 Halep announced her retirement from tennis in front of her hometown crowd in Clij, Romania. She explains that her soul is at peace with the decision driven by her body being unable to compete at such high levels. She had pulled out of that Australian Open and a tune-up tournament in New Zealand due to the pain in her knee and shoulder.
Many of Halep’s friends and coaches in the tennis community have been sending their best wishes and compliments. Former competitor Petra Kvitova and close friend Novak Djokovic congratulated Halep on the amazing caterer (Wimer, 2025). In addition, Halep’s previous coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said that Halep should be proud of her exceptional career (Llewellyn, 2025).
In conclusion, Simona Halep had an extremely successful tennis career that was unfortunately cut short. She was dealt a bad hand with suspension compared to other players, but she remained strong-minded. Her legacy will carry on forever from great attitude, sportsmanship, and perseverance.
