Simona Halep has withdrawn from Doha and Dubai and won’t participate for Romania in its upcoming Fed Cup tie in order to deal with lingering infection problems. The world No. 2 said the previous month and a half has been "extremely difficult" because of her condition. She plans to have a surgical procedure on her nose to address the issues this week.
"I've been dealing with infections in my stomach, nose and ear," Halep said in a statement. "This has been one of my most frustrating periods, as I've not been able to train or stay healthy even though I've constantly been on antibiotics to help clear the infections."
Halep lost in the first round of the Australian Open and suggested she should not have played the event.
"I gave it my best shot in Australia but, with the infections still in my body, unfortunately I made things worse, as I pushed myself to compete and fight in a Grand Slam," she said. "Under [the] doctor[']s advice, I will undergo surgery to fix the on-going problem with my nose—and I've been advised that this is my best option and success is highly likely."