It’s a pity that the career of a legend like Simona Halep is going to end like this. At 33 years old, outside the top 800 and having not won an official match since August 2022, the future of the Romanian points anywhere but towards the professional circuit. In an interview with Golazo, she herself acknowledges all the problems that have caused her career to come to a standstill with no way out. This afternoon we will see her compete again in the WTA 250 de Cluj-Napoca, where the tournament met expectations by granting her a wildcard, but first it is worth listening to the words of a woman completely exhausted by the circumstances.
“The knee injury I’m suffering from is quite severe and difficult to recover from. I don’t know if I have the courage right now to face it. It’s normal to be a little afraid, the point is that reaching my peak level while feeling pain is very challenging. Now I see how hard it is to return to the level I was at, especially after such a long break,” affirms the one from Constanta, surely hurt at the thought of how an unjust suspension affected her tennis status and practically crushed her emotional state.
The idea of retiring comes to my mind very often; I’ve reached an age where I have frequent injuries and it’s very hard to recover,” sadly states the former world No. 1, admitting that nothing will ever be the same again due to a simple natural matter. “It seems like my knee never fully heals, that’s why they recommended surgery, but it’s a long and complicated procedure, so I don’t think I’ll do it. We’ll see what happens next; life goes on, and I’ll make decisions as things come,” she notes.
BEYOND TENNIS
Of all the statements we could rescue from Simona’s interview, the one that puts us in the worst situation – although it’s actually the best if we think of her well-being – is the one where she shows the maturity achieved after so many ups and downs in recent years. The declaration reflecting the tranquility of someone who has imagined the end several times, overcoming possible pain and embracing that life is much more than training and winning tournaments.
“Tennis is not everything in my life; I have many desires and goals beyond sports. Everything I did in the past was extraordinary; I might not have even dreamed of becoming a world No. 1 or winning two Grand Slam titles, but I worked very hard for it, and such achievements made me feel fulfilled as a tennis player. Now I want to do something more, not just in tennis. The first part of my life was solely based on tennis, but now I want to explore other paths,” concludes Halep, who will debut this afternoon in Cluj-Napoca against the Italian Luciana Bronzetti.
