• Former world No 1 makes announcement to home fans
• ‘I’ve always been realistic with myself and with my body’

The former world No 1 Simona Halep has announced her retirement after suffering a resounding defeat in her first match of 2025.

Halep belatedly got her season under way in her home event, the Transylvania Open, in Romania on Tuesday, after being handed a wildcard. But the two-time grand slam champion won just two games as Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti powered to a 6-1, 6-1 victory in just 59 minutes.