Simona Halep has withdrawn from Australian Open qualifying and will delay the start of her 2025 season after experiencing knee and shoulder pain.
The former world number one, 33, received a joker from tournament organizers last week, but said she felt discomfort after playing at the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
Halep was sentenced to a four-year ban for doping. reduced to nine months this year, and has always maintained her innocence after being charged with two separate doping offenses.
Today, the former Roland-Garros and Wimbledon champion is trying to recover on the circuit, with injuries not helping her cause.
“After discussing at length with my team, we agreed that it was wise to delay the start of my season,” the Romanian wrote on Instagram.
She will also miss next week’s Auckland Classic, which is one of the main warm-up events for the Australian Open.
Halep, who was runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki at the 2018 Australian Open, is now ranked 877th in the world.
She said she was going to “rest” and planned to return to her home event in Cluj, Romania, in early February.
Qualifying for the Australian Open will take place from January 6 to 9, and the 2025 opening Grand Slam will begin on January 12.
