Halep gets wildcard for Australian Open qualifying

Former world number 1 Simona Halep has received a wildcard for Australian Open qualifying.

The 33-year-old Romanian was fixed a four-year doping prohibition that was reduced to 9 months this year.

Halep, who maintained her innocence aft being charged pinch 2 abstracted doping offences, returned to action successful Miami successful March and past competed connected the WTA Tour successful October successful Hong Kong, wherever she mislaid successful the first round.

The erstwhile French Open and Wimbledon champion is classed 877 successful the world.

Halep's champion capacity astatine Melbourne Park was erstwhile she vanished runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki successful 2018, and she reached the 4th information connected her astir caller sojourn successful 2022.

"I person been moving difficult to get fresh for the 2025 season," said Halep.

"The Australian Open has provided maine pinch immoderate of the champion moments successful my career, truthful I can't hold to beryllium backmost successful Melbourne and playing successful beforehand of the Aussie fans."

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Australian Cruz Hewitt will look to emulate his begetter Lleyton by making his Grand Slam debut astatine the Australian Open aft he was handed a qualifying wildcard.

Lleyton Hewitt is simply a two-time Grand Slam champion who reached world number one, and he made his awesome debut arsenic a 15-year-old astatine Melbourne Park aft an inspired qualifying tally successful 1997.