In her final interview as an active player—a truly special one—Simona Halep shared what she hopes people will remember about her journey.
“Let my passion for tennis, my fire on the court, and the fact that I never gave up when things got tough remain my legacy. The fact that I dedicated my entire life to this sport. There are emotional voids because of that, but I have no regrets. And I want people to see that my passion for this sport was real, that I gave my life to tennis. That’s what I’d like. And to understand that I never betrayed tennis, that I never cheated, that I never did anything that would disrespect the sport.
I had many crossroads, many big finals lost—some call them failures, but for me, they were never failures. Some moments pushed me to prove to myself that I could do it, even if I didn’t succeed right away. Like I said in 2017, maybe I wasn’t ready then to win a Grand Slam. It happened after another lost final, but at the 2018 Australian Open, I knew the next one would be mine. Things happened for me when I was truly ready for them. As my brother always says, ‘For you, nothing comes easy.’ Maybe that’s just how I am, or maybe I bring it upon myself—because we attract what we think, how we think. And maybe this is just who I am.”
What was the defining quality that pushed you forward when things seemed impossible?
“Faith. And faith in the good. Before my suspension, I didn’t believe in malice, but then I realized there is so much cruelty in the world. Many people asked me if I felt the need to speak out, to scream, to seek revenge. No, I didn’t. I never felt that way, not even toward those with bad intentions. That’s their malice. And I don’t need to enter that space and poison myself by thinking badly of them. If that’s how they thought and acted, it’s their business.
I am at peace knowing I did nothing wrong. And I want to stay clean and at peace, to keep a true heart. Because when you feel good inside, you have a beautiful life. No dark thoughts, you sleep well, you wake up smiling… If I, after everything that happened, still have the strength to smile, it means I am in a good place.”
Last night, Sorana Cîrstea watched Simona from the sidelines, then embraced her at the edge of the court. Shortly after, she wrote:
“Tonight I cried because a part of me retired with you. 27 years of memories. Thank you for everything you have done for our sport, for Romania, and for us. I wish you all the best in this new chapter of your life. See you soon on the other side.”
