Simona Halep has revealed which tournament she will play in next after her injury return. The Romanian declared that she would be going to Hong Kong to compete in the Hong Kong 125 Open.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) initially imposed a four-year ban on Halep after she tested positive for Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open and for biological passport irregularities in May of 2023. But in March 2024, after she filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), her suspension was reduced to nine months, and she returned to competition at the Miami Open in 2024.
When Halep rejoined the circuit at the Miami Open, she lost to Paula Badosa of Spain in the opening round. She then faced McCartney Kessler in the women’s Paris Challenger competition. Her knee injury forced her to retire after she won the first set.
A video of Halep announcing her participation in the Hong Kong 125 Open was posted on X on Saturday by Romanian tennis. She expressed her gratitude to the organizers for giving her a wildcard and expressed her excitement at returning to the court earlier than anticipated.
Halep said: “Hello guys, I figured today was a great day to share the great news that I will be back on the court sooner than expected. I will be flying to Hong Kong tomorrow to compete in the WTA 125 Hong Kong Open. Big thanks to the tournament for the wildcard. I cannot wait to see you all there.”
Simona Halep in 2024
Ranked world no.578, the Romanian played her last match on the 2nd of October when she overcame world no.114 Arina Rodionova 6-2 4-6 6-4 in the 1st round of the Hong Kong 125 Open Hong Kong (draw).
Presently, during this year Simona has managed to achieve an overall 1-2 record.
Simona Halep will face the world no.78 Anna Blinkova in the 2nd round. They have never competed against each other up to now on the main tour.
Simona won 24 titles in her career: 11 on hard courts, 9 on clay courts, 2 on indoor courts and 2 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)