Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Monday, February 23, 2026, 1:40 p.m. / Updated Monday, February 23, 2026, 1:40 p.m.
Darren Cahill (60), the well-known tennis coach, comes as a special guest at Simona Halep's official retirement event. He had a very important role in the career of the athlete, helping her to win the title at Roland Garros (2018), but also to rank first in the WTA ranking.
The gala match will take place on June 13, 2026, at BTarena in Cluj-Napoca, being an event organized by Sports Festival.
Darren Cahill: “I can't wait to return to Romania”
Currently, one of Jannik Sinner's coaches, Darren Cahill, sent a message to the organizers announcing that he is looking forward to returning to our country for the special event, after which Simona Halep will officially retire from tennis.
I can't wait to return to Romania, to Cluj-Napoca, for the Sports Festival, on June 13! An opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary champion. Simona is a real pride for herself, for her family, and for the way she built her career, through a lot of work. And the most important thing is that Simona did everything in her own way. Two-time Grand Slam champion, two-time world leader at the end of the year, and an incredible player who spent most of her career in the world top 5! We will have the chance to be together and celebrate a truly extraordinary career.
– Darren Cahill, Simona Halep's former coach
Darren Cahill will be present at Simona Halep's official retirement event / photo: Sports Festival
The contribution that the coach brought to Simona Halep's game is very well known. During the period in which the two collaborated, the athlete reached the best form of her career.
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October 2015 – October 2018, respectively January 2020 – September 2021, were the two periods in which the two collaborated
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Simona won 10 WTA tournaments during the collaboration with Cahill
It won't be the first time an Australian comes to Cluj-Napoca. According to the official release of the organizers, in 2019, he was with Simona Halep in a demonstration tennis match held with a full house, in front of approximately 10,000 spectators. Cahill went down to the field, alongside Andrei Pavel, contributing to the special atmosphere of the evening.
Darren Cahill and Simona Halep after the 2018 Roland Garros final / Imago Images
