"I thank you for this initiative," Halep honored by the Romanian Tennis Federation
Simona Halep bid farewell to professional tennis at the start of 2025. The 33-year-old Romanian competed in the Cluj-Napoca tournament in February but suffered a heavy defeat in her opening match against Lucia Bronzetti (6-1, 6-1).
Shortly afterward, the former world No. 1, whose career end was marred by a doping suspension and recurring knee and shoulder injuries, delivered an on-court speech to announce her retirement.
Four months after hanging up her rackets—at least at the professional level—Simona Halep, who won Roland-Garros in 2018 and Wimbledon in 2019, was honored by the Romanian Tennis Federation (FRT). A ceremony was held in her honor, with Halep in attendance.
The country's national tennis center, located in Bucharest, will now bear the name of the Romanian champion. On this occasion, Halep addressed the invited guests, having spent part of her youth training in her country's capital.
"Thank you to everyone who stood by me, who contributed even a single brick to the house built over the years. Bucharest has been a second home for me—it’s where I grew and matured, where I received the education of competitive sports.
I thank you for this initiative. It’s a unique moment and a responsibility. I hope this new name will be a source of motivation. It’s not easy to perform at a high level, but if you give it your all, you can succeed. Even if we come from a small country, we can reach the top.
This is an emotional moment. Daniel Dobre (Halep’s former coach) wrote to me some time ago asking what I thought about this (referring to the renaming of the national tennis center).
I felt an immediate emotion, and I can say this is recognition for all the results I’ve achieved since childhood. I am 100% a Romanian product—I grew up here, and my time here also helped me reach world No. 1.
At 16 and a half, 17 years old, I came to Bucharest and trained here, on these courts. The conditions were ideal for me. Even though it was hard to leave home, it was the most important moment.
In the end, perhaps this moment in my life also contributed to bringing me where I was—to the highest level of world tennis," Halep said, as reported by the local media outlet Golazo.
