Halep to skip Australian Open 2025 due to pain in knee, shoulder

Halep to skip Australian Open 2025 due to pain in knee, shoulder

Former World No. 1 and two-time Major champion Simona Halep has decided to skip next year’s Australian Open and a tune-up event in Auckland before it, the Romanian said on social media on Thursday.

Australian Open 2018 runner-up Halep, who had received a wildcard for the upcoming edition’s qualifying round, last played in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi last week.

“After playing in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately I felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again. After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season,” the 33-year-old Halep wrote on Instagram.

“It’s not what I wanted but I would like to thank the tournament organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wild cards and I’m sorry I won’t be able to take them this time.”

Halep said that she intends to return to action at the WTA 250 event in Cluj-Napoca in Romania.

The Romanian was provisionally suspended in October 2022 after she tested positive for roxadustat – a banned drug that stimulates the production of red blood cells – at the US Open that year.

Later, she faced a four-year ban but managed to get it reduced to nine months after an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.