Simona Halep withdraws from Australian Open, local stars under injury cloud

Two-time grand slam champion and former finalist at Melbourne Park, Simona Halep, has pulled out of the Australian Open as local stars Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ajla Tomljanovic withdraw from Brisbane International.

Outspoken former finalist Simona Halep has withdrawn from next month’s Australian Open because of injury, delaying her return to the majors after a two-year absence following a doping ban.

Her decision comes as local stars Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ajla Tomljanovic both withdrew from the Brisbane International citing injury concerns. (Scroll down to read more on their withdrawal)

The Romanian Halep, who made the Australian Open final in 2018 before going on to win Wimbledon that year then the French Open in 2019, had been given a wildcard entry into the qualifying event for the first Grand Slam of 2025.

But she announced on her social media accounts that she had been forced to delay her comeback after aggravating some niggling injuries while playing in an exhibition event in the Middle East earlier this month.

“After playing in Abu Dhabi, unfortunately, I felt pain in my knee and shoulder once again,” Halep posted.

Simona Halep of Romania reacts as she plays against Daria Snigur of Ukraine during their 2022 US Open Tennis tournament women's singles first round match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on August 29, 2022. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)

“After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season. It’s not what I wanted but I would like to thank the tournament organisers in Auckland and Australia for the wildcards, and I’m sorry I won’t be able to take them this time.”

Halep, 33, joins a long list of players in recent years, who have pulled out of the Australian Open, which is often played in scorching summer heat.

Instead, she said she was now hoping to start her season at the Transylvania Open in her homeland in early February.

“I will rest up and intend for my next event to be Cluj, where I can’t wait to play in front of the amazing Romanian fans,” she said.

Although they won’t dare say it publicly, tennis officials may well breathe a sigh of relief that Halep is skipping the Australian Open.

Simona Halep is on the comeback trail from a ban related to doping offences. Picture: Getty

Initially banned for four years over two doping offences she has always maintained she was innocent of, Halep succeeded in having her suspension reduced to nine months after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) agreed that “on the balance of probabilities” she had not taken any banned substances intentionally.

Despite being cleared to return Halep has been outspoken about the way other players have received more lenient penalties, notably Iga Swiatek, a five-time major winner and one of the favourites to win the women’s title at Melbourne Park.

In a recent interview with the British press, Halep, without naming Swiatek, questioned why Swiatek was banned only for a month after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ).

“The woman player – I don’t want to give name, you know about who I’m talking about – she had the three-week suspension, then she played two events, and then she gets again suspension. What is this? I mean, I don’t understand. So I feel it is not fair,” Halep said.

With anti-doping issues set to dominate Melbourne Park after the defending Australian Open men’s champion Jannik Sinner escaped a ban after testing positive, Halep’s outspoken criticism has divided the sport.

While many support her grievances, others, including Australia’s multi Grand Slam doubles champion Rennae Stubbs, believe the Romanian’s complaints should be aimed elsewhere.

“She’s obviously angry, but her ire should be directed at the system, not at Iga. There are numerous players who channel their frustration toward another player, but they should be mad at the system,” Stubbs said on her podcast.

“It’s not the players’ fault; they play by the rules. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be competing.”

KOKKINAKIS, TOMLJANOVIC OUT OF BRISBANE

Australian tennis stars Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ajla Tomljanovic have both withdrawn from the Brisbane International as they battle to be fit in time for next month’s Australian Open.

Kokkinakis, 28, revealed he had been dealing with a “small hip issue” that meant he could not compete in Brisbane this week, where he had been awarded a main draw wildcard entry.

“Sad to miss @BrisbaneTennis this year. Dealing with a small hip issue that needs some more time, but hopefully back for the rest of the summer,” Kokkinakis wrote on X.

The South Australian still holds a wildcard entry for the Adelaide International which begins on Monday, January 6.

Thanasi Kokkinakis has withdrawn from the Brisbane International with a hip injury. Picture: Matt McNulty/Getty Images

Kokkinakis famously broke through for his maiden ATP title on his home courts in 2022.

Tomljanovic, 31, was due to begin her summer as a wildcard in Brisbane but is now in a race against the clock to be fit for the Australian Open which begins in just over two weeks.

“I’m so disappointed to withdraw from the Brisbane International, but I wanted to be 100 per cent ready to compete, which I am not,” Tomljanovic wrote on Instagram.

“I’ll continue my prep and see you all at the Australian Open.”

Tomljanovic injured her left knee in Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup quarter-final defeat to Slovakia last month.

She holds a main draw wildcard entry to the Australian Open.

Her withdrawal came on the same day world No.7 Jessica Pegula was also forced out of the women’s draw due to injury.

Ajla Tomljanovic is also out of the Brisbane International. Picture: Paul Harding/Getty Images

Pegula, 30, was the No.2 seed in Brisbane behind reigning Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.

The American previously withdrew from the WTA Finals in November with a left knee injury.

She is a three-time quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park and one of the favourites for the title next month after a strong 2024 that included a narrow US Open final defeat to Sabalenka.

The tournament announced Suzan Lamens would replace Pegula in the main draw.

Tomljanovic and Pegula’s exits followed former world No.1 Simona Halep’s announcement that she would skip the Australian Open and lead-up Auckland ASB Classic due to pain in her knee.

The two-time grand slam champion and 2018 Australian Open finalist held a qualifying wildcard for the Australian Open.

The latest injury setback delays her return to grand slam tennis, following a two-year absence due to a doping ban.

Originally published as Simona Halep withdraws from Australian Open, local stars under injury cloud