Simona Halep announces her retirement at age 33 after two Grand Slam titles and a return from a ban

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep announced her retirement from tennis at age 33 after a first-round loss at a tournament in her home country of Romania on Tuesday, ending an injury-filled comeback from a doping suspension.

“I don’t know if it’s with sadness or joy — I think I’m feeling both — but my soul is at peace with this decision, and I’ve always been realistic with myself. My body can no longer handle as much as it used to, to get me where I probably once was," Halep said, using a microphone to address the crowd in Cluj, Romania, following her 6-1, 6-1 loss to Lucia Bronzetti in the Transylvania Open.

“It’s very hard to reach that level, and I know what it takes to get there,” Halep said. "That’s why I wanted to be here today, in Cluj, to play in front of you and say goodbye on the tennis court, even if my performance wasn’t great.”

It was the first match of the year for Halep, who reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time in 2017 but is now 870th and was given a wild-card invitation to play in Romania.

She had pulled out of qualifying for the Australian Open and a tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, last month because of pain in her knee and shoulder, the latest interruption of her career.

Halep once stood atop women's tennis, winning major singles trophies at Wimbledon in 2019 by beating Serena Williams in the final and at the French Open in 2018 by beating Sloane Stephens in the final.

She also was a three-time runner-up at Grand Slam tournaments — at the Australian Open in 2018 and the French Open in 2014 and 2017.

But her last appearance at a major event came at the 2022 U.S. Open. That was where Halep lost in the first round to Daria Snigur of Ukraine 6-2, 0-6, 6-4 and tested positive for the banned drug Roxadustat.

Roxadustat was approved for use in the European Union in 2021 to treat the symptoms of anemia caused by chronic kidney failure. It stimulates the body to produce more of the natural hormone erythropoietin, or EPO, which has long been a doping product favored by cyclists and distance runners to boost stamina.

Halep initially was given a four-year ban that would have expired in 2026. But she appealed, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the penalty to nine months in March 2024.

She argued that she was exposed to a contaminated supplement that caused her failed test. CAS determined that Halep bore “some level of fault or negligence” for not exercising “sufficient care” while using the supplement, but “she bore no significant fault or negligence.” So that is why, CAS said, “her anti-doping rule violations were not intentional.”

Halep made her return to the tour later that month at the Miami Open but has played a total of only six matches since then.

She leaves the sport with 24 singles titles and more than $40 million in prize money.

“To be competitive again requires much more, and at this moment, it’s no longer possible,” Halep said Tuesday. “I don’t want to cry — this is something beautiful. I reached world No. 1, I won Grand Slams; it’s everything I ever wanted.”

Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Sighisoara, Romania, contributed to this report.

Romania's Simona Halep waves to fans after announcing her retirement from professional tennis following a defeat at the Transylvania Open women's tennis tournament, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Cluj, Romania. (Mihaela-Ionela Bobar/Action Foto Romania via AP)

Romania's Simona Halep throws her racket into the tribune after announcing her retirement from professional tennis following a defeat at the Transylvania Open women's tennis tournament, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Cluj, Romania. (Mihaela-Ionela Bobar/Action Foto Romania via AP)

FILE - Romania's Simona Halep celebrates wining the final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Sloane Stephens of the U.S. in three sets at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, June 9, 2018. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, file)

FILE - Romania's Simona Halep holds her trophy after defeating United States' Serena Williams in the women's singles final match on day twelve of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, file)

FILE - Winner Romania's Simona Halep and second placed United States' Serena Williams, right, pose with their trophies after the women's singles final match on day twelve of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Tim Ireland, file)

FILE - Romania's Simona Halep celebtrates with the trophy after defeating against Sloane Stephens, of the United States, in the finals of the French Open tennis tournament, Saturday, June 9, 2018, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United managers come and go with disturbing regularity and Pep Guardiola has faced a few since taking charge at Manchester City 10 years ago.

On Saturday in fact, Michael Carrick becomes the sixth.

That number sums up the varying fortunes of the Manchester rivals over the past decade, with City dominating the Premier League and conquering Europe while United has lurched from one crisis to another.

Asked on Friday what the secret was to his longevity, Guardiola's answer was brief.

“Results,” he said. "If you don’t win, you’re sacked. So we won a lot. That’s why I’m still sitting here. There’s no other secret."

Guardiola has won 15 major trophies at City, including six Premier Leagues and the Champions League. This season City is still in contention for four trophies.

By contrast United crashed out of both domestic cup competitions at the earliest possible stage, is seventh in the Premier League and didn't qualify for any European competition.

Ruben Amorim last week became the sixth permanent United manager to be dismissed since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Former player Carrick was hired this week until the end of the season while United's hierarchy weigh up its long-term options.

One of those could include Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who announced on Friday he will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 51-year-old Austrian is reportedly being considered by United.

"I am looking for a new challenge,” Glasner said, adding he had not spoken to another club.

For now, Carrick has the hot seat and 17 games to make his case to stay in charge beyond this season.

“I’m eager to succeed," he said. "We’ve got a big job to do. It’s an important job and it always is here to win games and to play well and to to do it in a certain way.”

United's priority is to secure Champions League qualification from a top four position. Should Carrick achieve that, as well as provide the type of attacking soccer the club's fans crave, his case will be strengthened.

“We want to be top of the league ... but we've got to take some small steps towards that and European football would be a step forward and we've got to keep pushing.”

Victory against second-placed City at Old Trafford would be the perfect start for Carrick, who then has to prepare for a trip to league leader Arsenal.

United has had to get used to living in its neighbour's shadow since Ferguson departed.

The once dominant force in English soccer has not finished above City in the standings since taking the title in Ferguson's final season.

Since then City has won 18 major trophies and United five.

While United was runner-up twice to Guardiola's City, it finished 19 and 12 points adrift each time.

“It is what it is,” said Guardiola who has experienced far more intense rivalries in England with Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool and Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

“You know since day one the opinion I have of Man United. But what happened (there), I don’t know because I’m not there.”

Despite City's bulging trophy cabinet, its head-to-head statistics in one-off games are much closer.

Carrick's first Manchester derby will be Guardiola's 27th, more than any other City manager. He has won 14 of them, including penalty shootouts and victories against each United manager he has faced from a list including Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Amorim.

United has won nine.

The teams met in back-to-back FA Cup finals in 2023 and 24, winning one each.

City has enjoyed more dominant wins — scoring three or more goals on seven occasions — and in 2022 routed United 4-1 and 6-3.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola reacts after Erling Haaland missed a scoring opportunity during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

FILE - Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, and assistant Michael Carrick stand on the touchline during the English League Cup soccer match between Manchester United and West Ham at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson, File)