2018 finalist Simona Halep has been awarded a qualifying wild card for the 2025 Australian Open, the tournament announced on Wednesday.

Halep’s inclusion in the field was confirmed as the year’s first Grand Slam event finalized its qualifying entry lists. Halep has not competed at a Grand Slam tournament, in the main-draw or in qualifying, since she was ruled eligible to resume her tennis career with immediate effect in March of this year after her four-year ban for an anti-doping violation was reduced to nine months as a result of her recent appeal to the Court for Arbitration for Sport. Halep went 1-4 in limited tournament action in 2024, as her comeback efforts were also impeded by a knee injury.

Runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki in 2018, Halep also reached the 2020 semifinals, and three other quarterfinals, at Melbourne Park.

“The thought of returning to Australia after three years is exciting and I’m very grateful to the tournament for this opportunity. I have been working hard to get ready for the 2025 season,” the former World No.1 said in a statement released by the tournament.

“The Australian Open has provided me with some of the best moments in my career, so I can’t wait to be back in Melbourne and playing in front of the Aussie fans.”

World No.82 Alycia Parks, who reached the third round of the 2024 tournament and was ranked outside the main-draw cutoff when it recently closed, leads the women’s qualifying list. Two other players currently ranked inside the Top 100, Viktorija Golbuic and Nuria Parrizas Diaz, are also on the list.

Also set to compete for a spot in Melbourne’s main draw are former Top 10 players Sara Errani and Kristina Mladenovic, former Top 20 players Ana Konjuh, Petra Martic and Martina Trevisan and former junior World No.1 Alina Korneeva, 17, who reached the second round in her major debut in 2024. Ten players are using protected rankings for entry to qualifying, and World No.221 Lina Glushko is the last direct acceptance. Seven Australians, and 2024 junior Australian Open champion Renata Jamrichova of Slovakia, have joined Halep as wild-care recipients.

Australian Open qualifying begins on Jan. 9.