Simona Halep pulled out of Australian Open qualifiers due to knee and shoulder pain

MELBOURNE, Australia — Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep has withdrawn from Australian Open qualifying and a tuneup tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, due to soreness in her knee and shoulder, the latest setback in her comeback from a drug suspension.

Halep posted on social media that she was feeling down after attending an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

“After long discussions with my team, we have agreed that it is prudent to delay the start of my season,” Halep wrote. “Not what I wanted.”

The 33-year-old Romanian said he plans to enter the Transylvania Open in his home country, where play begins on February 3.

Halep was given a wild card entry to qualify for the Australian Open. He finished runner-up at Melbourne Park in 2018 and won major titles at the French Open later that year and at Wimbledon in 2019. He is ranked as high as No. 1 but is currently 877th and has not played a Grand Slam tournament since 2022 after missing all tournaments for 1 1/2 years due to a doping case.

Australian Open qualifiers begin on January 6, and the main draw begins on January 12.