Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep announced her retirement from tennis at age 33 after a first-round loss at a tournament in Romania on Tuesday, ending an injury-filled comeback from a doping suspension. “I don’t know if it’s with sadness or joy, I think both, but my soul is at peace with this decision. I’ve always been realistic with myself. My body can no longer handle as much as it used to, to get me where I once was,” Halep said following her 6-1, 6-1 loss to Lucia Bronzetti in the Transylvania Open.

It  was the first match of the year for Halep, who reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in 2017, but is now 870th and was given a wild-card invitation to play in Romania. Her last appearance at a major event came at the 2022 US Open where she tested positive for the banned drug Roxadustat. She was banned until March 2024. Halep retires with 24 singles titles to her name.