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Simona Halep retires at Cluj's Sports Festival, receives Citizen of Honour

Former world No. 1 Simona Halep was honoured as a Citizen of Honour of Cluj‑Napoca during a ceremony at the Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, where Mayor Emil Boc and rector Anca Buzoianu praised her career and perseverance.

Halep’s official retirement match will take place on Saturday 13 June 2026 at the BT Arena, part of the city’s Sports Festival 2026. She will face Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, with former players Darren Cahill, Gaël Monfils, Andrei Pavel and others appearing on the card. The event also attracted football legend Gică Hagi and his son Ianis, who arrived in Cluj to support the celebration.

The ceremony highlighted Halep’s achievements – two Grand Slam titles (Roland Garros 2018, Wimbledon 2019), 64 weeks atop the WTA rankings and 24 tour titles – and her role as a role model for Romanian youth. The retirement match is described as a gala celebration of her career and a tribute to her lasting impact on Romanian sport.