Romania’s Simona Halep withdraws from Australian Open
<p>Romanian tennis player and women’s former world no. 1 Simona Halep said that she decided to withdraw from the Australian Open due to knee and shoulder pain felt after playing in Abu Dhabi. <a href="https://www.romania-insider.com/romanian-simona-halep-receives-wild-card-australian-open-2025" rel="noopener" target="_blank">She had received a wild card for the qualifiers of the Australian Open</a>, the first Grand Slam tournament of 2025.</p>

<p>“After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season,” Halep wrote on Instagram, as quoted by <a href="https://www.news.ro/sport/simona-halep-s-a-retras-de-la-australian-open-si-auckland-anuntul-fostului-lider-wta-1922400526002024121521879787" rel="noopener" target="_blank">News.ro</a>.</p>

<p>“It’s not what I wanted, but I would like to thank the tournament organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wild cards,” she added.</p>

<p>Halep said she would “rest up” and confirmed her presence in the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca in February.</p>

<p><i>irina.marica@romania-insider.com</i></p>

<p><i>(Photo source: <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Mircea Nicolescu/Dreamstime.com</a>)</i></p>