Two Grand Slam titles, three runner-up finishes at Grand Slams, ‌24 singles trophies, and 64 weeks as WTA No. 1. What a journey it’s been for Simona Halep! On February 4th, the Romanian legend bid farewell to the 27-foot battlefield. She retired on home soil in Cluj after her first loss in 2025. And as she hung up her racket, tributes poured in from across the tennis world. Among the many messages, one stood out – her former coach, a person she might hold responsible for derailing her career at a crucial juncture. Hint for you: he once coached the great Serena Williams.

At 33, Simona, who hadn’t played in the Happy Slam or any pre-season events because of knee and shoulder pain, received a wild-card invitation to compete in her home country at the Transylvania Open. The Romanian first bowed out of the women’s doubles on February 3rd, after which the current World No. 870 faced Lucia Bronzetti but suffered a devastating loss, falling 6-1, 6-1. Nobody saw that coming, did they?

“It’s very hard to reach that level, and I know what it takes to get there. That’s why I wanted to be here today, in Cluj, to play in front of you and say goodbye on the tennis court, even if my performance wasn’t great,” stated Simona, expressing her long-anticipated retirement just after the match. And, as she concluded her post-match interview with the announcement of her retirement, her former coach and mentor, Frenchman Patrick Mouratoglou, who might be the reason for her last couple of year’s hurdle with a potential ban from the court, penned an emotional farewell note for her.

As soon as the Romanian announced her retirement, one of the tennis news handles on Instagram, Sportskeeda Tennis, posted a picture of her with ‘Thank You’ written in the picture while writing, “👑 Former World No. 1 🏆 2018 French Open champion🏆 2019 Wimbledon champion. Thank you Simona Halep for your wonderful career and all the memories 👏 #SimonaHalep #Retirement #Tennis”.

And soon after the post, her former coach, who has been accused of ruining her career, Patrick Mouratoglou, reposted the same while adding, “You can be proud of an exceptional career,”. But why is it the Frenchman who’s primarily responsible for derailing her career?

Simona Halep began working with Patrick in May 2022, but their partnership was relatively short-lived. The turning point? The 2022 US Open, in August. In a first-round upset, she lost to Daria Snigur, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4. Shortly after, her world was turned upside down when she tested positive for the banned substance ‘Roxadustat’. Candice Gohier provided the substance, Simona’s first foreign physiotherapist from the Mouratoglou Academy. It resulted in a four-year suspension until 2026.

Despite her ban, the Romanian made a dramatic comeback at the Miami Open 2024. She came after the “Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)” reduced her penalty, adding “no significant fault or negligence”. However, the Romanian appeared in several interviews during her doping case, where she made a strong accusation against the French coach.

For instance, in a December 2022 interview, the Romanian added: “I’m sure it wasn’t done intentionally and I’m grateful he admits the mistake was his and his team’s. Yes, they are the ones who gave me this food supplement. And for this error – their error – I am the only one to pay the high price: twenty-five years of career destroyed!”.

But the tables turned after her comeback at the Miami Open when she gave an interview, stating about the doping incident again.

Simona cleared the air with her views against her French coach

A crushing defeat and a potential ban from tennis sounds like every tennis player’s worst nightmare, doesn’t it? Yet, this became a harsh reality for the Romanian ace after her first-round exit at the 2022 US Open, followed by a looming 4-year suspension. And, as expected, the blame game began. Simona openly pointed fingers at her French mentor, Patrick Mouratoglou. Initially, she was considered a key figure in the doping scandal.

However, a significant alteration in her viewpoint followed the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) exoneration from serious misconduct, mitigating her suspension from four years to nine months.

After her return to the Miami Open, the Romanian gave an interview to Jon Wertheim, where she openly defended her French coach, Mouratoglou. “Definitely was not an intentional mistake or how should I say? That he wanted to make something wrong to me. No. And I heard many voices [say] that I was manipulated by him. That’s not true,” she added. That’s not all!

She further added, “So it was nothing that he offered me to take something or to give me something. No, everything was clear about doping, so it’s nothing that he did it on purpose, nothing,” showcasing there is no room for guilt between two parties.

Simona is entering a new chapter in her life. She reassured her ex-coach that all was well by sharing Patrick Mouratoglou’s Instagram post about her retirement. However, her continued involvement in tennis was something all tennis lovers hoped for. It ensures the collective growth of the sport in the years to come.