Simona Halep retires at BT Arena in Cluj before 10,000 fans

On 13 June 2026, former world No. 1 Simona Halep officially ended her tennis career during the VII edition of the Sports Festival at BT Arena in Cluj‑Napoca. Around 10 000 spectators watched a ceremony that combined a heartfelt speech, a tribute display of all her trophies and a demonstration match.

Halep thanked Romania, saying “Mulțumesc României, aici m-am născut, aici am crescut…”, and added “Sunt un om împlinit”. She also expressed gratitude to her family, coaches, sponsors and the Romanian public. Romanian sporting legends Nadia Comăneci, Gheorghe Hagi, Ilie Năstase and others were present, alongside international tennis stars Elina Svitolina, Gaël Monfils and former Romanian ATP player Andrei Pavel.

The match featured mixed‑doubles and singles exhibitions, with Halep’s father Stere joining her for a short rally and a symbolic hand‑over of balls to an 8‑year‑old local player, Sofia. The arena floor was painted half green and half orange to represent her Wimbledon and Roland‑Garros victories. Vice‑president of the Romanian Tennis Federation Daniel Dobre presented a special national trophy, and singer Loredana Groza performed a live rendition of “The Winner Takes It All”.