Top five career achievements of Simona Halep

Romanian, Simona Halep, has won two Grand Slam titles.

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

The Romanian had been on senior tour since 2005 but until recently physical issues, which also made her withdraw from the Australian Open, hindered her performance. Halep’s retirement came after an early exit from the Transylvania Open in Cluj, where she lost against Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets.

Halep’s journey began in the junior circuit, where she won four ITF singles titles in 2006. She remains the only Romanian female player to win two Grand Slam titles. But that is not all; Halep also broke into the WTA Top 100 within four years. But that being said, one of her most significant milestones came in 2014 when she reached world No. #2 after a stellar Wimbledon semi-final run.

She, then, later secured the world No. #1 ranking in 2017, despite losing to Maria Sharapova at the WTA Finals. Halep’s Grand Slam triumphs include the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon title. While these are Halep’s crowning jewels, but Romanian has done some unique things too and, in this article, we will look at the top five achievements of Simona Halep:

Simona Halep’s five career achievements

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 dominated International-level tournaments and won her first premier title at the New Haven Open. Halep also secured victories at the Kremlin Cup and WTA Tournament of Champions and finished the year ranked world No. #11 and earning the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Also Read: Top women’s singles players with most weeks at World No. 1 in WTA rankings

2. Highest-ranked Romanian in WTA history

Simona Halep became the highest-ranked Romanian player ever and at top of that reached the world No. #1 ranking without a Grand Slam victory. She achieved this milestone in October 2017 after finishing as runner-up at the China Open and despite a loss to Jelena Ostapenko in the 2017 French Open final; she rebounded to take the top ranking, holding it for 64 weeks across two seasons.

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

Halep’s 2014 French Open campaign saw her become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1997 to reach her maiden Grand Slam final without dropping a set; that Roland Garros campaign saw her defeating top players, including Jelena Janković and Angelique Kerber, before falling to Maria Sharapova in an intense three-set final that lasted over three hours.

Also Read: Top 11 players to win most Grand Slams without losing a set

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

Halep had one of the greatest performances in a Wimbledon final ever when she crushed Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 all in just 56 minutes. Halep also had three unforced errors during the match; it broke the record for the lowest number committed 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.

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