Former world number 1, Simona Halep has been offered a qualifying wild card entry at the 2025 AO! This tournament in Melbourne is going to be her first Grand Slam event since her doping suspension was lifted. For those who are unaware, Halep was provisionally suspended in October 2022 and later banned for 4 years for testing positive for a banned substance named Roxadustat. However, later on in March this year, her ban was reduced to nine months following an appeal at the CAS. Throughout this phase, Halep was spotted saying time and again, “I cannot wait to return to the tour.” Now with her return we hear, Simona Halep has a lot at stake as she gears up for the 2025 AO!

However, the 2025 AO isn’t her first tournament since her comeback to the Tour. On March 7, Simona Halep received a wildcard for the Miami Open. Over there, although she won the first set against Paula Badosa, she eventually ended up losing in three sets in the first round. Her next tournament was the Hong Kong Tennis Open in October. Even here she was given a wildcard entry but she lost in the first round of China’s Yuan Yue. The 33-year-old Romanian tennis star is currently ranked 877 in the world and her comeback to the Grand Slam is definitely a major boost to the women’s Tour!

What is at stake for Simona Halep at the 2025 AO, though? Well, the two-time Grand Slam champion reached the finals of the Australian Open in 2018. However, at that time, she was defeated by Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in a three-set thriller! She looked quite excited after hearing about her qualifying wildcard at the 2025. She even shared that post with the caption, “Can’t wait to be back 🙏.” Interestingly, Simona Halep could become the fifth women’s singles Grand Slam winner in the Open Era to qualify for a Grand Slam event.

Not only that, she is also the second to do that at the AO after Chris O’Neil in 1982! Those who have followed this tennis star closely, know what she has gone through in the last few years. After making her return to the Tour earlier this year, we saw her on the sidelines for a few weeks due to some fitness issues.

Speaking on that, Halep once revealed, “It has been a very difficult period (almost two years) mentally and emotionally for me, and struggling physically on top of that definitely doesn’t help. I have decided to take the time needed to recover properly, rather than training and playing through pain.“ Now, since her presence at the 2025 AO is almost confirmed, what was her reaction to getting the chance to make a return to the mage event in Melbourne?

“Very Grateful” – Simona Halep makes an honest confession on her return to the AO

There was a time when she revealed that her doping suspension being cut short was “bigger than Grand Slams, bigger than no.1” because it was more about “integrity and it was about myself, my person.” Such was the impact this doping saga had made in her life! In September during an interview with Craig Gabriel, Simona Halep described how it feels to be able to play again. What did she say, though? “It was amazing. It was like a freedom. You know, I’ve never been in jail, and hopefully I’ll never be, but they say, many people told me it looks like you are in jail. I could not go watch a tennis match. This was the most difficult thing,” said the Romanian.

Which part of tennis did she miss the most and what did she miss the least? In that same interview, Simona Halep revealed that she missed the competition, the adrenaline, the sensation, the fighting spirit, the feeling that she didn’t have to give up, and a few more things. What did she miss the least then? Well, to this she replied, “Traveling. Yeah, for me, always been a tough thing to travel. I don’t like to fly, hotels.” How does she look at her future now?

“I told my brother a few months ago that I’m scared of future. I never been, because tennis is you practice today for tomorrow. You always kind of know, expect what it’s gonna happen. But after this experience that I went through, I’m a little bit scared,” she said. However, with the AO knocking at the door, it’s perhaps time for Simona Halep to overcome those fears and concentrate fully on making a stunning comeback to the Tour. How excited is she about the mega event in Melbourne?

Speaking on this she added, “The Australian Open has provided me with some of the best moments in my career, so I can’t wait to be back in Melbourne and playing in front of the Aussie fans.” Simona Halep further added, “The thought of returning to Australia after three years is exciting and I’m very grateful to the tournament for this opportunity. I have been working hard to get ready for the 2025 season.” Do you think Simona Halep can make a deep run at the AO next year?