A year after making the emotional decision to retire from professional tennis, Simona Halep has opened up about life away from the sport and revealed that she still misses some of the feelings that came with competing at the highest level.

Halep announced her retirement on February 4, 2025, following her first-round defeat to Lucia Bronzetti at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca. The former world No. 1 admitted at the time that she felt both sadness and joy, but said she was making the decision with a peaceful heart.

One year later, the Romanian tennis icon has reflected on what she misses most about her remarkable career. In an interview published in February 2026, Halep explained that she misses the emotions and adrenaline of competing, while making it clear that she does not miss the physical pain that came with pushing her body to its limits.

For Halep, tennis was much more than simply a profession. She dedicated much of her life to becoming one of the best players in the world, eventually reaching the No. 1 ranking and winning two Grand Slam singles titles.

Her biggest triumphs came at the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon, while she also spent 64 weeks at the top of the WTA rankings.

But her final years as a professional were complicated by injuries and the disruption caused by her doping suspension. After returning to competition, Halep struggled to regain the level that had previously made her one of the world’s leading players.

The knee injury became particularly important in her retirement decision. Before ending her career, Halep explained that the injury was serious and that surgery could require a lengthy recovery without guaranteeing that she would return to her previous level.

Rather than continuing simply because of her past achievements, Halep chose to acknowledge that she could no longer give tennis everything it demanded.

That decision has not erased her connection with the sport. Her comments about missing the emotions of competition show how deeply tennis remains connected to her identity, even though she is no longer competing professionally.

Her reflections also highlight an important part of retirement that fans rarely see: the challenge of moving from a life built around tournaments, training and competition to a completely different routine.

Halep has since spoken positively about what tennis gave her and the lessons she learned throughout her career. In later reflections, she emphasized that she has no regrets about her journey.

In June 2026, she also received an official retirement celebration in Romania, where she thanked fans, family and everyone who supported her throughout her career. She described her journey as difficult but ultimately beautiful and said she regretted nothing.

For Halep, retirement may have closed the chapter on professional tennis, but it has not erased the memories, achievements and emotions that made her career special.