Simona Halep: Wild card former world No. 1 withdraws from 2025 Australian Open qualifying due to injury

Simona Halep's comeback to tennis has suffered a blow ahead of the Australian Open after the former world No. 1 announced that she would be withdrawing from the 2025 edition. The 33-year-old Romanian had been given a wild card entry to the first Grand Slam of the season, but she wrote on her Instagram account that knee and shoulder pain would delay her campaign start.

Simona Halep has announced she will not take part in the Australian Open next month due to problems with her knee and shoulder.

The 33-year-old Romanian had been given wild card entry to qualifying for the first Grand Slam of the new season after she returned from a doping ban, which had been reduced this year following an appeal.

Halep’s best finish in Melbourne is as a runner-up in 2018, though she has won both the French Open and Wimbledon in previous years.

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After making her return to competitive tennis, she played in the World Tennis League exhibition in Abu Dhabi this December.

"After playing in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately I felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again," Halep wrote on her Instagram account.

"After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season."

"It's not what I wanted but I would like to thank the tournament organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wild cards and I'm sorry I won't be able to take them this time."

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Instead, Halep plans to take part in the Transylvania Open in Cluj, Romania, in February.

The former No. 1 was suspended in October 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat at that year’s US Open.

Her four-year ban was reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, after claiming that the substance was in a contaminated supplement.

Watch and stream the 2025 Australian Open live on Eurosport and discovery+.

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