Simona Halep Announces Retirement from Tennis

On Tuesday, two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep announced her retirement from tennis at age 33.

She announced her decision after a first-round loss at a tournament in her home country of Romania. 

Halep said: "I don't know if it's with sadness or joy -- I think I'm feeling both -- but my soul is at peace with this decision, and I've always been realistic with myself. My body can no longer handle as much as it used to, to get me where I probably once was," 

Halep address the crowd in Cluj, Romania, following her 6-1, 6-1 loss to Lucia Bronzetti in the Transylvania Open.

"It's very hard to reach that level, and I know what it takes to get there," Halep said. "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."

With this announcement, Halep wrote the end of an impressive career with several obstacles such as the 4-year-ban and injuries.