Simona Halep to miss Australian Open due to injury

Simona Halep has announced a delayed start to her 2025 season. She will miss the Australian Open due to knee and shoulder pain.
Halep, a former world number one, had her career interrupted by a doping ban. The ban was later reduced on appeal this year. She had received a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying tournament. She was the runner-up at the Australian Open in 2018.
Halep was also scheduled to compete in a warm-up tournament in Auckland. Her most recent competitive appearance was at the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last week.
"After playing in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately I felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again. After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season," Halep wrote on Instagram.

"It's not what I wanted but I would like to thank the tournament organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wild cards and I'm sorry I won't be able to take them this time."
The Romanian player plans to return to competition in early February. She aims to play at her home tournament in Cluj.
Halep's provisional suspension began in October 2022. She tested positive for roxadustat at the US Open. Roxadustat is a prohibited substance that boosts red blood cell production.
The initial four-year ban was reduced to nine months in March. This followed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Halep, the 2019 Wimbledon champion, maintains she unknowingly ingested the banned substance. She attributes the positive test to contaminated supplements.