Simona Halep announced that she will not be at the 2025 Australian Open

It is not yet 2025 but the losses for the Australian Open they begin to appear. The first Grand Slam tournament of the season, which will begin on January 12 in Melbourne, has already confirmed its first absence: Simona Halep.

The Romanian, former No. 1 in the WTA world ranking and who was suspended for doping for nine months, had received a wildcard to participate in the qualy of the major oceanic race in addition to making a previous stop at the WTA 250 in Auckland (New Zealand). However, Problems in her physical condition made her abandon this opportunity.

Through a statement on her social networks, Halep expressed: “After playing in Abu Dhabi, I unfortunately felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again. After discussion with my team, we agreed that it is sensible to delay the start of my season. I will rest and intend for my next event to be Cluj, where I can’t wait to play in front of the amazing Romanian fans.”

In this way, the Romanian extends her absence from a Grand Slam tournament to almost three years. The last one she played, prior to doping and the injury problems that later plagued her, was the 2022 US Open, where she lost surprisingly to the Ukrainian Daria Snigur in the first phase.