History of Simona Halep in Timeline

Simona Halep is a Romanian former professional tennis player who achieved the world No. 1 ranking in women's singles by the WTA for 64 weeks. She finished as the year-end No. 1 in both 2017 and 2018. During her career, Halep secured 25 WTA Tour-level titles, including two Grand Slam victories: the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1973: Romania's Previous Semifinal Appearance

In 1973, Romania last reached the semifinals of the World Group before their appearance in 2019.

1974: Mariana Simionescu's French Open Title

In 1974, Mariana Simionescu won the French Open, setting a precedent for future Romanian tennis players.

1986: Steffi Graf's Achievement

In 1986, Steffi Graf achieved a similar feat to Halep, by being the last person to win her first six WTA titles in the same season.

September 1991: Simona Halep's Birth

On 27 September 1991, Simona Halep was born in Constanța, Romania.

1997: Martina Hingis at the Australian Open

In 1997, Martina Hingis reached her maiden Grand Slam final without dropping a set at the Australian Open.

2006: Start of Professional Career

In 2006, Simona Halep started her professional tennis career playing low-level ITF Women's Circuit events in Romania.

May 2007: First ITF Titles

In May 2007, Simona Halep won her first two ITF singles and doubles titles in back-to-back weeks in Bucharest.

June 2008: First $25k Singles Title

In June 2008, Simona Halep won her first $25k singles title in Sweden.

2008: Began Working with Firicel Tomai

In 2008, Halep began working with Firicel Tomai as her coach.

2008: Junior Grand Slam Title at French Open

In 2008, Simona Halep won her only junior Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating Elena Bogdan in the final and becoming the top-ranked junior in the world.

2009: Top 100 Victory

In 2009, Simona Halep defeated No. 96 Angelique Kerber for her first top 100 victory and reached the top 200 of the WTA rankings.

2009: WTA 1000 Finals with Serena Williams since 2009

She became the player with the joint-most WTA 1000 18 finals to level with Serena Williams since 2009.

April 2010: WTA Tour Main-Draw Debut

In April 2010, Simona Halep made her WTA Tour main-draw debut, reaching the quarterfinals at the Andalucia Tennis Experience and finishing runner-up at the Morocco Open.

2010: Debut for Romania Fed Cup Team in 2010

Halep made her debut for the Romania Fed Cup team in 2010 in the third-tier Europe/Africa Zone Group I. She won all three of her singles matches in 2010 but lost a decisive doubles match against Switzerland.

2011: Top 50 Ranking

In 2011, Simona Halep broke into the world's top 50 in tennis rankings.

2012: No WTA Singles Title in 2012

2012 was the first season since 2012 where Halep did not win a WTA singles title.

2012: Fed Cup Play in 2012

In 2012, Halep played on the Romania Fed Cup team, winning all three of her singles matches, but losing a decisive doubles match against Poland.

2012: London Olympics

In 2012, Halep represented Romania at the London Olympics, losing her opening round match to Yaroslava Shvedova.

August 2013: Top 20 Ranking

In August 2013, Simona Halep entered the top 20 in the world tennis rankings.

2013: Transition to Aggressive Play

Around 2013, Halep transitioned from a defensive player to a more aggressive baseliner, improving her style of play.

2013: Breakthrough Year and Coaching Change

Despite a breakthrough year with six titles in 2013, Halep left her coach Adrian Marcu at the end of the season.

2013: Fed Cup Play in 2013

In 2013, the Romania Fed Cup team only won one tie.

January 2014: Top 10 Ranking

In January 2014, Simona Halep achieved a top 10 ranking in the world of tennis.

January 2014: Halep in the Top 10 since January 2014

Since January 2014, Halep had been a consistent presence in the top 10 rankings.

May 2014: Signed with Adidas

In May 2014, Halep began her sponsorship deal with Adidas, which later ended at the start of 2018.

November 2014: Vodafone Romania Deal

In November 2014, Halep signed a three-year deal with Vodafone Romania and appeared in their commercials.

2014: Hired Wim Fissette and Reached French Open Final

In 2014, Halep hired Wim Fissette, and under his coaching, she made her first Grand Slam final at the French Open.

2014: WTA Most Popular Player of the Year

In 2014, Halep was named the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year.

2014: Promotion to World Group II in 2014

In 2014, Romania swept their group in the Fed Cup. Halep suffered her first Fed Cup singles loss but Romania won a playoff against Ukraine to advance to the World Group II play-offs. They defeated Serbia to get promoted to World Group II.

2014: Grand Slam Quarterfinal and Premier 5 Title

In 2014, Simona Halep reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open and won her first Premier 5 title at the Qatar Open. She also reached the finals at both the Madrid Open and the French Open.

2014: Top 5 Finish Each Year Starting with 2014

Starting with 2014, Halep had finished each year in the top 5.

2015: Fed Cup World Group II

In 2015, Halep and Begu led Romania to a victory against Spain in the World Group II, with Halep winning against Sílvia Soler Espinosa. However, both lost to Garbiñe Muguruza.

2015: Strong Start to 2015 Season

In 2015, Halep started the season strongly, reaching at least the quarterfinals in her first six events, winning the Shenzhen Open, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, winning the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Indian Wells Open. She reached the semi-finals at the Miami Open. During the clay court season, she reached the semi-finals at the Stuttgart Open and the Italian Open. She was upset in the second round of the French Open and at Wimbledon.

2015: WTA Most Popular Player of the Year

In 2015, Halep was named the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year.

2015: Promotion to World Group II in 2015

In 2015, Romania got promoted to World Group II.

2016: Began Working with Darren Cahill

In 2016, Halep began working with Darren Cahill, leading to significant achievements including two No. 1 rankings and a Grand Slam title.

2016: Fed Cup World Group Debut

In 2016, Halep debuted in the Fed Cup World Group against the Czech Republic, losing to Karolína Plíšková initially but winning against Petra Kvitová on the second day.

2016: Skipped Rio Olympics

In 2016, Halep skipped the Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus.

2016: Underperformance and Madrid Open Win in 2016

In 2016, Halep underperformed at the Grand Slam events, starting with an opening round loss at the Australian Open. She dealt with an Achilles injury and infections. In March 2016, Halep lost in the quarterfinals at both Premier Mandatory events. During the clay-court season, Halep won the Madrid Open. At the French Open, she lost to Samantha Stosur in the fourth round and at Wimbledon, she lost to Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals.

2016: World Group Tie Against Czech Republic

In 2016, Romania faced the defending champion Czech Republic team in the World Group, a tie that was repeated in 2019.

2016: Hublot Watches Sponsorship

Since 2016, Halep has been internationally sponsored by Hublot watches.

2017: World Group Play-offs

In 2017, Halep and Romania were relegated back to World Group II after losing to Germany in the World Group play-offs, with Halep losing to Angelique Kerber.

2017: Reaching World No. 1 Ranking in 2017

In 2017, Halep reached the semifinals at the Canadian Open and finished as runner-up at the Cincinnati Open. At the US Open, she lost in the first round to Maria Sharapova. Halep reached the final at the China Open. Despite the loss, Halep became the world No. 1 for the first time in 2017. She finished the season as the world No. 1.

2017: WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player

In 2017, Halep was named the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.

2017: Simona Halep World No. 1 Ranking

In 2017, Simona Halep achieved the World No. 1 ranking.

2017: French Open Runner-Up

In 2017, Simona Halep finished as runner-up at the French Open.

2017: Year-End No. 1 Ranking

In 2017, Simona Halep was ranked as the year-end No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA.

2017: Mercedes-Benz Romania Ambassador

Since 2017, Halep has been a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Romania.

February 2018: Signed with Nike

In February 2018, Halep signed a $1.7 million deal with Nike as her clothing sponsor.

2018: Australian Open Runner-Up

In 2018, Halep finished as the runner-up at the Australian Open, marking her closest attempt to winning a Grand Slam title on hard courts.

2018: Celebration for French Open Title

In 2018, Halep was welcomed back to Romania with large celebrations at the Arena Națională in Bucharest after winning the French Open.

2018: Won French Open

In 2018, Halep won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, coached by Darren Cahill, who then left her team.

2018: Australian Open and French Open Victories

In 2018, Simona Halep finished as runner-up at the Australian Open before winning the French Open.

2018: Year-End No. 1 Ranking and French Open Win

In 2018, Simona Halep was again ranked as the year-end No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA and also won the French Open.

2018: WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year

In 2018, Simona Halep was named the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year.

2018: Romania Advances to World Group Play-offs

In 2018, despite Halep missing the tie due to injury, Romania won against Canada to advance back to the World Group play-offs.

2018: Top Returner on WTA Tour

In the 2018 season, Halep was ranked as one of the best returners on the WTA Tour, finishing first in percentage of first serve return points won at 42.9%.

2019: 2019 Season: Finals and Ranking Changes

In 2019, Halep lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open, also losing the No. 1 ranking. She finished runner-up at the Qatar Open and reached the semi-final at the Miami Open. Halep was runner-up at the Madrid Open, and lost in the quarterfinals to Amanda Anisimova at the French Open. As a result, Halep fell to No. 8 in the rankings.

2019: Celebration for Wimbledon Triumph

In 2019, Halep was celebrated at the Arena Națională in Bucharest after her Wimbledon triumph, attended by notable Romanian athletes.

2019: Defending Champion at Wimbledon in 2019

In 2019, Halep was the defending champion at Wimbledon.

2019: Won Wimbledon with Daniel Dobre

In 2019, Halep won her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, coached by Daniel Dobre, and later rehired Darren Cahill.

2019: Wimbledon Title

In 2019, Halep won the Wimbledon title, despite being considered "no one's idea of a grass-court player" beforehand.

2019: Romania Reaches Fed Cup Semifinals

In 2019, Romania reached the Fed Cup semifinals for the first time since 1973, with Halep winning both of her singles matches against Karolína Plíšková and Kateřina Siniaková in the first round against Czech Republic.

2019: Promotion Back to World Group

In 2019, Romania, with Halep winning two singles rubbers, secured a victory against Switzerland to get promoted back to the top-tier World Group.

2019: Simona Halep World No. 1 Ranking

In 2019, Simona Halep achieved the World No. 1 ranking.

2019: WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year

In 2019, Simona Halep was named the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year.

2020: 2020 Season: Australian Open and Title Wins

In 2020, Halep reached the quarterfinals at the Adelaide International and the semifinals at the Australian Open, where she lost to Garbiñe Muguruza.

2020: Withdrawal from Tokyo Olympics

In 2020, Halep was set to be the flag bearer for Romania at the Tokyo Olympics, but withdrew due to a calf injury.

2020: 2020 Season: Three WTA Titles

In 2020, Halep won three WTA titles, including the Dubai Tennis Championships, Prague Open, and the Italian Open. She lost to Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the 2020 French Open.

August 2021: End of Top 10 Streak

From 27 January 2014 to 8 August 2021, Halep was ranked in the top 10 for 373 consecutive weeks, the eighth-longest streak in WTA history.

September 2021: End of Working Relationship with Darren Cahill

In September 2021, Halep announced the end of her working relationship with Darren Cahill and rehired Adrian Marcu and Daniel Dobre.

September 2021: Married Gabriel Iuruc

On 15 September 2021, Halep married businessman Gabriel Iuruc.

2021: 2021 Season: Quarterfinals and Injury

In 2021, Halep was defeated in the quarterfinals at Gippsland and at the Australian Open. At the Miami Open, she withdrew due to a right shoulder injury. At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she reached the semifinals. She lost to Elise Mertens in the third round of Madrid.

2021: 2021 Season: Injury and Return

In 2021, Halep was upset by Danielle Collins at the Canadian Open and won her first match since her calf injury at the Western & Southern Open. She withdrew from the next match due to an injury to her right adductor. At the US Open, she reached the round of 16. She finished the 2021 season at No. 20.

March 2022: Request for Disqualification of Results from March 8, 2022

The ITIA has requested the disqualification of Halep's results from March 8, 2022, when blood Sample 44 was collected, to October 7, 2022, the start of Halep's Provisional Suspension.

May 2022: Hired Patrick Mouratoglou

In May 2022, after inconsistent results, Halep hired Patrick Mouratoglou as her coach.

September 2022: Divorce and Nose Surgery

In September 2022, Halep announced her divorce and underwent nose surgery to correct breathing problems and reshape her nose.

October 2022: Suspension from WTA Tour

In October 2022, Simona Halep was suspended from the WTA Tour after testing positive for a banned substance.

October 2022: Doping Violation Announcement in October 2022

In October 2022, it was announced that Halep had tested positive for the banned substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.

2022: Injury and Nose Surgery in 2022

At the Cincinnati Open in 2022, Halep withdrew from her second-round match due to a thigh injury. At the US Open, she was defeated in the first round. After the US Open, she announced she would not play for the rest of the year after undergoing nose surgery.

2022: 2022 Season: Melbourne Title and Coaching Change

In 2022, Halep won her 23rd title at the Melbourne Summer Set 1. At the Australian Open, she lost in the fourth round to Alizé Cornet. In February, Halep reached the semifinals of the Dubai Open. In March 2022, she lost in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open and announced Patrick Mouratoglou as her full-time coach.

September 2023: Four-Year Ban Upheld in September 2023

On September 12, 2023, Halep's suspension was upheld, and she received a four-year ban from tennis, making her ineligible to return to competition until October 7, 2026.