Halep won’t be competing at this year’s French Open after a big decision from the tournament organizers.
Simona Halep is out of the French Open after the French Tennis Federation (FFT) opted against giving the former French Open champion a main draw or a qualifying wildcard.
On Tuesday, the French Open organizers announced their wildcard selection for the 2024 selection. On the women’s side, six Frenchwomen were granted main draw wildcards, as well as Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic and USA’s Sachia Vickery because of the reciprocal wildcard agreement between the Grand Slams.
Halep, who returned from her doping ban in March, is now ranked at No. 1149 in the world and she wasn’t anywhere near making the French Open main draw directly or even getting into the qualifying wildcard.
However, since Halep is a three-time finalist at Roland Garros and the 2018 tournament winner, the belief was that she would be granted a wildcard. But the French Open organizers had other plans as not only that Halep didn’t receive a main draw wildcard, she wasn’t granted a qualifying wildcard either – which means there’s no way for her to compete at Roland Garros this year.
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Halep wasn’t the only big name snubbed for a French Open wildcard
2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu and 2018 Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki also didn’t make the cut off for the French Open. Just like in Halep’s case, it was expected that both Raducanu and Wozniacki would be granted main draw wildcards. But now, both Raducanu and Wozniacki will have to earn a main draw spot through the qualifying.
But one thing that makes Halep’s wildcard snub pretty stunning is the fact that she has made French Open finals since 2014 – which puts her among one of the most successful players at Roland Garros over the last decade. Some suspect that Halep’s doping ban may have played a role in the wildcard snub but Raducanu and Wozniacki not receiving wildcards either probably shows that Halep wouldn’t be granted a wildcard even if not for a doping ban on her resume.
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Unfortunately for Halep and her fans, the Romanian now won’t be making her Grand Slam return until at least Wimbledon. At Wimbledon, Halep is also a former champion and it will be interesting to see what the AELTC does if the Romanian needed a wildcard for The Championships.