Tennis Champ Simona Halep Undergoes Nose Surgery to Correct Breathing Issues and for 'Aethetics'

Simona Halep/Twitter

Tennis champion Simona Halep starting her off-season early after undergoing nose surgery, she shared Thursday.

Halep posted a lengthy note on Twitter, explaining that the surgery was partially to correct a breathing issue, and for her own self-esteem.

"I felt it's the right time to do it and also for myself as a person," the 30-year-old Romanian player shared. "That is why I did also the [a]esthetic part that I wanted to do for a long time, as I did not like my nose at all," she added.

Halep said that she's not sure how long her recovery will take, but that she won't compete for the remainder of 2022.

"For the moment I am not thinking about anything but recovery," she said. "What is sure is that this year I won't be able to compete in any official tournament anymore."

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She went on to admit that she was "completely exhausted mentally" after the US Open and had breathing problems that led to the surgery.

"Having problems with the breathing for many years already and becoming worse with time, I decided to follow the advice of my doctors and do the needed surgery," she said.

Halep is the first Romanian woman to be ranked world No. 1 and the first to win a Wimbledon singles title.

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Javier Garcia/BPI/Shutterstock Simona Halep

She nabbed the number-one ranking in 2017 and 2018, and along with her 2019 Wimbledon title, Halep won the 2018 French Open. But she struggled with injuries over the next two years, and fell out of the top 10.

In her post, Halep said that she was "very close" to quitting tennis because "I didn't believe I have enough power to come back to top 10."

"I was going through many anxious moments and I thought it's time to stop because it is emotionally unhealthy," she continued.

With a new coach, Halep returned to the court in 2022 and quickly jumped back into the top 10 after a big win at the Canadian Open.

"See you on court, 2023!" she said Thursday. "I feel I still have a lot to do on a tennis court and still have some goals."