Simona Halep will delay her begin to the 2025 season and skip the Australian Open as a result of ache in her knee and shoulder, the previous world No. 1 mentioned Thursday.
Halep, whose profession stalled as a result of a doping ban that was decreased on attraction this 12 months, had acquired a wild card for the Australian Open qualifying event final week. She completed runner-up on the Melbourne main in 2018.
The 33-year-old had additionally been scheduled to play at a tuneup event in Auckland. Halep final performed on the World Tennis League exhibition occasion in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, final week.
“After enjoying in Abu Dhabi, sadly I felt ache in my knee and shoulder as soon as once more. After discussing with my staff at size, we agreed it’s wise to delay the beginning of my season,” Halep wrote in an Instagram story. “It isn’t what I wished however I want to thank the event organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wild playing cards and I am sorry I will not be capable of take them this time.”
The Romanian mentioned she intends to return at her residence occasion on the Transylvania Open in Cluj in early February.
Halep was provisionally suspended in October 2022 after she examined optimistic for roxadustat — a banned drug that stimulates the manufacturing of crimson blood cells — on the US Open that 12 months.
She was later banned for 4 years, a interval that was lower to 9 months in March following an attraction on the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport.
The 2019 Wimbledon champion has denied knowingly taking roxadustat, blaming contaminated dietary supplements for her optimistic check.
Halep has been ranked as excessive as No. 1 however is at present 877th and hasn’t performed at any Grand Slam event since 2022 after lacking all tournaments for 1½ years due to the doping case.
Australian Open qualifying begins Jan. 6, and the primary draw begins Jan. 12.
Reuters and The Related Press contributed to this report.
