Halep was a hugely popular first-time Grand Slam champion, well-liked in the dressing room and within the sport in general for her groundedness and apparent lack of ego. Her desperation to win a major was well known and after Halep won in Paris, Martina Navratilova joked: “It wasn’t a monkey off her back; this was an 800lb gorilla.”

The winner of 24 singles titles called an end to her career after a first-round loss Tuesday in the Transylvania Open in her native Romania.

The former world No 1 claimed two Grand Slam titles, including Wimbledon in 2019, but the last two years have been overshadowed by her suspension for testing positive for a banned substance