Two-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep has announced her retirement from tennis. In what turned out to be her final career match at the Transylvania Open in Romania, the 33-year-old was soundly beaten 6-1 6-1 by Italian player Lucia Bronzetti.

Immediately after the match, the former world No.1 announced her decision on court, and was given a big ovation by her home crowd.

In emotional scenes, she also received a hug from her interviewer before heading back to the locker rooms.

"Tonight, I don't know if it's with joy or sadness, I think both feelings are trying me but I'm making this decision with my soul," she said. "I've always been realistic with myself and with my body.

"Where I probably was, it's very hard to get there and I know what it means to get there. That's why I wanted to come here today in Cluj to play in front of you and say goodbye.

"Even though my performance wasn't very good it was still my soul and I'm very glad you came, and I'll wonder if I'll come back again. But for now it's the last time I'ver played here and I don't want to cry it's a beautiful thing I became world No.1.

"I won Grand Slams, it's all I wanted. Life goes on, there is life after tennis and I hope that we will see each other again. I'll come to the tennis here as often as I can and of course I will continue to play - but to be competitive it requires much more and at this moment it is no longer."

Halep only returned to the sport last March after her ban for a doping violation was cut short. After testing positive for the banned substance roxadustat at the 2022 US Open, she was given a four-year ban that initially ran until October 2026.

But Halep appealed the sanction to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and her ban was then reduced with the panel accepting her argument that her positive test was the result of a contaminated substance she had been using. After her comeback though, Halep didn't qualify for any of the three Grand Slam events that followed.

But despite being ranked outside the world's top 800, Halep was awarded a wildcard for the Australian Open qualifying tournament this year. However, she withdrew after suffering knee and shoulder pain during an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

Her maiden Slam title came at the French Open, beating Sloane Stephens in the final. The following year, she overcame Serena Williams to win Wimbledon.