Top five career achievements of Simona Halep

Simona Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1, announced her retirement from professional tennis on February 4, 2025, at the age of 33.

The Romanian had been on the senior tour since 2005, however, recent physical challenges, which also led to her withdrawal from the Australian Open, have adversely affected her performance. Halep's retirement followed an early departure from the Transylvania Open in Cluj, where she was defeated by Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets.

Halep's career commenced in the junior circuit, where she secured four ITF singles titles in 2006. She is distinguished as the only Romanian female player to have claimed two Grand Slam titles. Furthermore, Halep achieved a place in the WTA Top 100 within a span of four years. Notably, one of her most remarkable accomplishments came in 2014 when she ascended to world No. 2 following an impressive performance in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

In 2017, she achieved the prestigious world No. 1 ranking, even though she was defeated by Maria Sharapova at the WTA Finals. Halep's Grand Slam victories encompass the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon championship. While these accomplishments are certainly the highlights of her career, the Romanian has also achieved several remarkable feats.

In this article, let’s look at the top five career achievements of Simona Halep.

1. First woman since Steffi Graf to win six career titles in a single season (2013)

Halep’s breakthrough year came in 2013 when she won six WTA titles to become the first player to achieve this feat since Steffi Graf in 1986.  She excelled in International-level competitions, claiming her first premier title at the New Haven Open. Halep also triumphed at the Kremlin Cup and the WTA Tournament of Champions, concluding the year with a world ranking of No. 11 and receiving the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

2. Highest-ranked Romanian in WTA history

Simona Halep made history by becoming the highest-ranked Romanian player of all time, achieving the world No. 1 ranking without having secured a Grand Slam title. This achievement came in October 2017, following her performance as the runner-up at the China Open. Despite her defeat to Jelena Ostapenko in the final of the 2017 French Open, Halep managed to ascend to the top ranking, which she maintained for a total of 64 weeks over two seasons.

3. First woman since Martina Hingis to teach her first Grand Slam final without dropping a set (2014 French Open)

Halep's journey in the 2014 French Open marked a significant achievement, as she became the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach her first Grand Slam final without losing a single set. Throughout that tournament, she triumphed over several top competitors, including Jelena Janković and Angelique Kerber, before ultimately succumbing to Maria Sharapova in a gripping three-set final that extended beyond three hours.

4. Fewest unforced errors in a Grand Slam final (Wimbledon 2019)

Halep delivered one of the most remarkable performances in the history of Wimbledon finals, decisively defeating Serena Williams with a score of 6-2, 6-2 in a mere 56 minutes. Throughout the match, Halep recorded only three unforced errors, setting a new record for the fewest errors made in a Grand Slam final.

5. Eighth longest consecutive streak in WTA Top 10 (2014-2021)

Simona Halep had a consistent run in the top 10 rankings with her, spending 373 consecutive weeks in the WTA Top 10, also the eighth-longest streak in WTA history. She remained a dominant force from 2014 to 2021, winning multiple WTA 1000 titles and competing at the highest level.

Cover Credits - Tennis.com