MELBOURNE – Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep pulled out of Australian Open qualifying and a tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday because of pain in her knee and shoulder, the latest interruption of her comeback from a drug suspension.
Halep posted on social media that she was feeling poorly after participating in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.
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“After discussing with my team at length, we agreed it is sensible to delay the start of my season,” Halep wrote. “It's not what I wanted.”
The 33-year-old Romanian said she is planning to next enter the Transylvania Open in her home country, where play begins Feb. 3.
Last week, Halep was granted a wild-card entry for qualifying in the Australian Open. She was the runner-up at Melbourne Park in 2018 and won major titles at the French Open later that year and at Wimbledon in 2019. She has been ranked as high as No. 1 but is currently 877th and hasn’t played at any Grand Slam tournament since 2022 after missing all tournaments for 1 1/2 years because of a doping case.
Australian Open qualifying starts on Jan. 6, and the main draw begins on Jan. 12.
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