Simona Halep has announced that she is taking a break from tennis just months after she was cleared to return to the court. The 32-year-old played her first event following a doping ban in March but has struggled with a knee problem since making her comeback.
Halep missed a WTA 125 tournament in Portugal before withdrawing from the Madrid Open due to the injury, which she sustained in practice. She went on to retire from her match against Kessler McCartney at the Trophee Clarins in May, citing the same issue.
The two-time Grand Slam champion has since opened up on her injury struggles, confirming that she will be taking a break from training and playing to focus on her recovery.
In a message to her fans on Instagram, Halep wrote: “Hi everyone, I wanted to provide a little health update since I have been away from the court lately. It is not the best news, but I wanted to share all the same. For a few months now, I have been struggling with a knee injury.
“It’s an injury I have never had before and it has been a tough one to manage, with the pain persisting. It has been a very difficult period (almost two years) mentally and emotionally for me and struggling physically on top of that definitely doesn’t help.
“I have decided to take the time needed to recover properly, rather than training and playing through pain. My instinct has always been to try to come back as soon as possible, but I am not a machine, I am a human being and I need time to recover from everything I have gone through.
“I’ll keep you posted and, as always, want to thank you for your permanent support. I hope to be back on court very soon.”
Halep was not awarded main draw wildcards at either the French Open or Wimbledon, leading to assumptions that she was simply out of action due to a lack of opportunities to play. However, it is now clear that she has been unable to take to the court as a result of her injury problems.
It remains to be seen if Halep will recover in time to play at the US Open, where she reached the semi-finals in 2015. She did not appear on the entry list that was released earlier this week but could still receive a wildcard if she deems herself fit enough to play at Flushing Meadows.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk