Simona Halep facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Simona Halep

Halep at the main draw ceremony of the 2025 Transylvania Open
Country (sports)	Romania
Residence	Bucharest, Romania
Born	(1991-09-27) 27 September 1991 (age 33) Constanța, Romania
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Turned pro	26 June 2006
Retired	4 February 2025
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$40,236,618 4th in all-time rankings
Official website	simonahalep.com
Singles
Career record	580–243 (70.47%) (70.5%)
Career titles	24
Highest ranking	No. 1 (9 October 2017)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (2018)
French Open	W (2018)
Wimbledon	W (2019)
US Open	SF (2015)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	F (2014)
Olympic Games	1R (2012)
Doubles
Career record	67–72 (48.2%) (48.2%)
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 71 (15 May 2017)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2021, 2022)
French Open	2R (2012)
Wimbledon	1R (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
US Open	2R (2011)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
US Open	QF (2015)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	SF (2019), record 22–10

Simona Halep (born 27 September 1991) is a Romanian former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 64 weeks. She was also the year-end No. 1 in both 2017 and 2018.

Halep won 25 WTA Tour titles. These include two major championships: the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. She was a junior champion at the French Open and a former junior world No. 1.

Simona first entered the world's top 50 in 2011 and the top 10 in 2014. In 2013, she won her first six WTA titles in one season. This was a rare achievement, not seen since Steffi Graf in 1986. Because of this, she was named the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year.

Halep reached the finals of three major tournaments before winning her first title. She was a runner-up at the 2014 French Open, 2017 French Open, and 2018 Australian Open. She also finished second at the 2014 WTA Finals to Serena Williams. Later, she defeated Williams to win the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

From 2014 to 2021, Halep was ranked in the top 10 for 373 weeks in a row. This is the eighth-longest streak in WTA history. During this time, she finished each year ranked among the world's top four players.

Halep was suspended from the WTA Tour in October 2022 after testing positive for a banned substance. In February 2024, her suspension was reduced from four years to nine months. Since she had already served this time, she returned to the tour at the 2024 Miami Open. She officially retired from professional tennis in 2025.

Simona Halep was a very popular player. She was named the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015. She was also the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She is the first Romanian woman to be ranked world No. 1 and the first Romanian to win a Wimbledon singles title.

Early Life and Background

Simona Halep was born on 27 September 1991 in Constanța, Romania. Her parents are Stere and Tania Halep. She has an older brother named Nicolae.

Simona's father played football and later owned a dairy factory. He wanted his children to have more support in sports than he did. When Simona was four, she started playing tennis after watching her brother's practice. Her brother stopped playing, but Simona continued. She practiced twice a week until she was six, then daily. She also played football and handball as a child.

Growing up, she often trained on the beaches and in the water of the Black Sea. When she was a teenager, a tennis club owner in Constanța helped sponsor her. At 16, she moved away from her family to train in Bucharest.

Junior Career Highlights

Halep with the junior French Open trophy in 2008

Simona Halep was once the world's top-ranked junior player. She started playing on the ITF Junior Circuit in 2005 when she was 13. In her second tournament, she finished second in Romania. The next year, she won all four junior singles events she entered. She also played for Romania in the Junior Fed Cup.

In 2007, Halep won her only Grade 1 junior title in Croatia. She also played in junior Grand Slam events for the first time. She reached the third round at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

In 2008, her last year as a junior, she improved her Grand Slam results. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She then won a major junior title at the Trofeo Bonfiglio without losing a set. She finished her junior career by winning her only junior Grand Slam title at the French Open. She won the final against fellow Romanian Elena Bogdan. This win made her the world's top-ranked junior player.

Professional Career Milestones

Starting Her Professional Journey (2006–2010)

Halep became a professional player in 2006. She started by playing in smaller tournaments in Romania. In 2007, she won her first two singles and doubles titles. In 2008, she won her first $25,000 singles title in Sweden.

In 2009, she started playing in bigger events. She beat world No. 96 Angelique Kerber for her first win against a top 100 player. She also reached the top 200 in the WTA rankings.

In April 2010, Halep played in her first main WTA Tour event. She reached the quarterfinals at the Andalucia Tennis Experience. She also made her first WTA final at the Morocco Open, finishing second. This success helped her reach No. 110 in the rankings. Later that month, she made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open. She entered the top 100 in July and finished 2010 ranked No. 81.

Climbing the Rankings (2011–2012)

In 2011, Halep played mostly WTA Tour events. She won her first Grand Slam matches at the Australian Open, reaching the third round. She also reached the final of the Morocco Open again.

At the Rogers Cup, she had her first win against a top 20 player, Svetlana Kuznetsova. At the US Open, she beat world No. 6 Li Na for her first top 10 victory. This result helped her enter the top 50 for the first time. She ended 2011 ranked No. 47.

In 2012, Halep kept a steady ranking, staying between No. 37 and No. 63. She reached the semifinals at the Morocco Open and her first Premier-level final at the Brussels Open. She finished 2012 at No. 47 again.

Breakthrough Season (2013)

Halep had a slow start in 2013, but then had a huge breakthrough. She reached the semifinals of the Italian Open as a qualifier. She beat three top 20 players before losing to world No. 1 Serena Williams.

She then won her first three WTA titles in June and July. She won the Nuremberg Cup on clay and the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships on grass. After winning a third title at the Budapest Grand Prix, she moved up to No. 23 in the world.

Halep won her fourth title at the New Haven Open, beating top 10 players Caroline Wozniacki and Petra Kvitová. This was her first Premier-level title and put her in the top 20. She reached the fourth round of the US Open, her best Grand Slam result at the time.

She won a fifth title at the Kremlin Cup. At the end of the season, she won the WTA Tournament of Champions. With six WTA titles in one year, she finished 2013 at No. 11 and was named the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year.

Reaching Major Finals (2014)

In 2014, Halep greatly improved her Grand Slam results. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open. This result helped her enter the top 10 of the WTA rankings.

The next month, she won her first Premier 5 title at the Qatar Open, beating three top 10 players. After reaching the semifinals at the Indian Wells Open, she rose to No. 5 in the world. This made her the highest-ranked Romanian woman ever.

During the clay court season, Halep reached two of the biggest finals of her career. She was runner-up to Maria Sharapova at both the Madrid Open and the French Open. She reached the French Open final without losing a set. With these results, Halep moved up to No. 3.

At Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals but lost after an ankle injury. A week later, she won the first Bucharest Open in her home country. This helped her reach No. 2 in the world in August.

She qualified for the WTA Tour Championships for the first time. She beat world No. 1 Serena Williams in the group stage, holding her to just two games. She reached the final but lost to Williams. Halep finished 2014 ranked No. 3.

Premier Mandatory Title and US Open Semifinal (2015)

Halep started 2015 strongly, reaching at least the quarterfinals in her first six tournaments. She won the Shenzhen Open. She then won the Dubai Tennis Championships (her second Premier 5 title) and the Indian Wells Open (her first Premier Mandatory title).

She extended her winning streak to 14 matches at the Miami Open, where she lost in the semifinals to Serena Williams. She did not reach any finals during the clay court season. At the French Open and Wimbledon, she had early losses.

After Wimbledon, she reached the finals of two Premier 5 events in August: the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. She then had her best Grand Slam result of the year, reaching the semifinals at the US Open. She finished 2015 with a career-best year-end ranking of No. 2.

Another Premier Mandatory Title (2016)

In 2016, Halep had a slow start and struggled at Grand Slam events. She dealt with injuries in the first two months. In March, she lost in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and Miami. This caused her to fall out of the top 5 for the first time in over a year.

During the clay-court season, Halep won her second Premier Mandatory title at the Madrid Open. This win helped her return to the top 5. She reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, losing to Angelique Kerber.

After Wimbledon, Halep won back-to-back titles at the Bucharest Open and the Canadian Open. She also reached her first WTA doubles final at the Canadian Open. At the US Open, she reached another Grand Slam quarterfinal, losing a close match to Serena Williams. She finished 2016 ranked No. 4.

Becoming World No. 1 (2017)

Halep at the 2017 Washington Open

Halep had another slow start in 2017, dealing with a knee injury. She defended her title at the Madrid Open, winning a Premier Mandatory title for the third year in a row. She also reached the final of the Italian Open.

At the French Open, she reached her second final. She had a tough quarterfinal match where she came back from being down a set and 5–1 to win. In the final, she was favored but lost to Jeļena Ostapenko in three sets. This result moved her back to No. 2 in the world.

At the US Open, Halep had a tough first-round match against Maria Sharapova and lost. However, she rebounded and reached another Premier Mandatory final at the China Open. Despite losing the final, Halep became the world No. 1 for the first time. She was the first Romanian woman to hold this ranking. She finished 2017 as the world No. 1.

French Open Champion (2018)

Halep with the French Open trophy

Halep held the No. 1 ranking for most of 2018. She started the season by winning both the singles and doubles titles at the Shenzhen Open. This was her first WTA doubles title.

At the Australian Open, Halep reached her third Grand Slam final. She played two very long and exciting matches. In the third round, she won a three-hour and forty-five minute match that ended 15–13 in the third set. She saved three match points. In the semifinals, she beat Angelique Kerber in another long match, 9–7 in the third set. She faced Caroline Wozniacki in the final and lost in a close three-set match.

Halep did not win any clay court titles before the French Open, but she reached the final of the Italian Open. At the French Open, she reached her second Grand Slam final in a row. She came back from being down a set and a break against Sloane Stephens to win her first career Grand Slam title. She became one of only six players to win both the junior and women's singles titles at the French Open.

She continued her success on hard courts, reaching the final at both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. She won the Canadian Open against Sloane Stephens. She finished her season early due to injuries.

Wimbledon Champion (2019)

Halep with Wimbledon trophy, on a stamp

Halep recovered from her back injury for the 2019 season. She lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Serena Williams, losing her No. 1 ranking. She reached the final of the Qatar Open and the semifinals of the Miami Open.

On clay, her best result was another final at the Madrid Open. At the French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals. As a result, Halep's ranking fell to No. 8.

At Wimbledon, Halep reached the final as the seventh seed, only losing one set. She faced Serena Williams in the final and won the championship easily in under an hour. She lost only two games in each set and made very few mistakes. She became the first Romanian to win a Wimbledon singles title and rose back to world No. 4.

After Wimbledon, she played two tournaments before the US Open. She won her first-round match at the US Open but lost in the next round. She finished the season at No. 4 in the world.

Later Career and Injuries (2020–2022)

Halep started 2020 by reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. She won three WTA titles this year. The first was in Dubai, the second at the Prague Open, and the third at the Italian Open. At the 2020 French Open, she lost in the fourth round to the eventual champion. The COVID-19 pandemic affected much of the season.

In 2021, Halep reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She withdrew from the Miami Open due to a shoulder injury. In May, she retired from her Italian Open match after tearing a calf muscle. This injury kept her out of the French Open and Wimbledon, where she was the defending champion. As a result, her ranking fell out of the top 10 for the first time since 2014, ending a streak of 373 weeks. She finished 2021 at No. 20, her lowest year-end ranking since 2013.

Halep at the 2022 US Open

Halep started 2022 by winning her 23rd title at the 2022 Melbourne Summer Set 1. At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round. In March, she announced Patrick Mouratoglou as her new full-time coach.

At the French Open, Halep lost in the second round. She reached the semifinals of Wimbledon without losing a set, but lost to the eventual champion.

At the Canadian Open, she reached her 29th career semifinal at a WTA 1000 event, a record. She won her 24th career title and third at this tournament, beating Beatriz Haddad Maia in the final. This win brought her back into the top 10, at world No. 6. After the US Open, she announced she would not play for the rest of the year after having nose surgery.

Suspension and Return (2023–2024)

In October 2022, it was announced that Halep had tested positive for a banned substance at the 2022 US Open. On 12 September 2023, she received a four-year suspension from tennis. Halep stated she would appeal the ban.

Halep appealed the ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in February 2024. The Court agreed that her positive test was likely caused by a contaminated supplement. While the Court found she had some fault, it decided a multi-year ban was not fair. The Court reduced her ban to nine months, which she had already served.

Halep was cleared to return to tennis immediately. On 7 March 2024, she received a wildcard to play at the Miami Open. She lost her first match back in three sets. Her next WTA Tour match was in October 2024 at the Hong Kong Tennis Open, where she also lost in the first round.

Retirement (2025)

Halep was given a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying tournament in 2025. However, she withdrew due to knee and shoulder pain.

After losing her first-round match at the Transylvania Open in February 2025, Simona Halep announced her retirement from professional tennis.

Playing Style

Halep covering the court

Halep described herself as an "aggressive baseliner." Her tennis idol, Justine Henin, said Halep has an "intelligent game" that is "offensive and aggressive." Halep also had excellent defensive skills and could cover the court very well.

Over time, she changed her game from just getting balls back to playing more aggressively. She used her speed and ability to predict shots to hit powerful winners. She could hit winners both across the court and down the line. Halep aimed to disrupt her opponent's rhythm during points.

Halep's favorite surface is clay. She has had success on all surfaces, winning 10 hard court titles, 7 clay court titles, and both of her grass court finals. She won Grand Slam titles on clay and grass courts.

Halep was known as one of the best returners on the WTA Tour. In 2018, she ranked first in winning points on her opponent's first serve and in winning return games. She was not as highly ranked in serving, partly because she is 1.68 meters (5 feet 6 inches) tall.

Coaching Team

As a junior, Halep was coached by Ioan Stan. She started working with Firicel Tomai in 2008. After five years, she switched to Adrian Marcu and also worked with Andrei Mlendea.

At the start of 2014, she hired Wim Fissette, her first non-Romanian coach. Under Fissette, she reached her first Grand Slam final. Later, she worked with Romanian coach Victor Ioniță.

In 2016, Halep began working with Darren Cahill. In three years with Cahill, she finished two seasons as world No. 1, reached three Grand Slam finals, and won her first Grand Slam title at the 2018 French Open. Cahill left her team after 2018 to spend time with his family.

In 2019, she hired Daniel Dobre and then reunited with Darren Cahill later that year. With Dobre as her coach, she won her second Grand Slam title at 2019 Wimbledon. Her longtime fitness coach is Teo Cercel. In September 2021, she ended her work with Cahill and rehired Adrian Marcu and Daniel Dobre. In May 2022, she hired Patrick Mouratoglou.

Endorsements

Halep's clothing sponsor has been Nike since February 2018. Before that, she was sponsored by Adidas and Lacoste. She uses Wilson rackets.

She is also sponsored by several Romanian brands, including Vodafone Romania and Dorna water (from Coca-Cola Romania). She has appeared in commercials for these brands. Halep also endorses Dedeman, a Romanian home improvement chain. She has been a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Romania since 2017 and for Hublot watches since 2016.

Personal Life and Recognition

Romanian journalist Adrian Toca called Simona "without a doubt the biggest sports star in Romania." After she won Grand Slam titles in 2018 and 2019, she was welcomed back to Romania with big celebrations in Bucharest. Thousands of people attended these events. Famous Romanian athletes, like footballer Gheorghe Hagi and gymnast Nadia Comăneci, also attended.

Halep has been named an "honorary citizen of Bucharest." She has also received important awards like the Patriarchal Cross of Romania and the Order of the Star of Romania.

Halep was also very popular worldwide. She was named the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015. She was also the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player for three years in a row from 2017 to 2019.

Growing up, her tennis idols were former world No. 1 Justine Henin and Romanian player Andrei Pavel. She admired Henin's aggressive style. Her main sports idol was Gheorghe Hagi, a famous Romanian footballer. Halep is a big football fan and played a lot as a child. She supports the Romania national team and admires Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Career Statistics

Performance Timelines

Singles

Doubles

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Singles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2014	French Open	Clay	Maria Sharapova	4–6, 7–6(7–5), 4–6
Loss	2017	French Open	Clay	Jeļena Ostapenko	6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	2018	Australian Open	Hard	Caroline Wozniacki	6–7(2–7), 6–3, 4–6
Win	2018	French Open	Clay	Sloane Stephens	3–6, 6–4, 6–1
Win	2019	Wimbledon	Grass	Serena Williams	6–2, 6–2

WTA Championships Finals

Singles: 1 (runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	2014	WTA Finals, Singapore	Hard (i)	Serena Williams	3–6, 0–6

Images for kids

• 

  Halep representing Romania at the 2014 Fed Cup

See also

In Spanish: Simona Halep para niños

• List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players
• List of French Open women's singles champions
• List of Wimbledon ladies' singles champions
• List of Grand Slam women's singles champions
• List of Grand Slam girls' singles champions
• List of Romanians