Halep has been vaccinated, and has said she now feels safe on tour, but urged her fellow professionals to get vaccinated to bring about an easing of restrictions.

"I don’t feel afraid, because I am vaccinated," Halep said, as quoted by Ubitennis.

"I feel protected.

"I am taking care.

"I wear the mask when many people are around.

"I feel much better when the tournament is open.

"I don’t like the bubbles.

"I feel very stressed when I’m in the bubble.

"So if people can vaccinate more and more will be better, because we will not have more restrictions anymore."

Halep contracted COVID-19 last October, having withdrawn from the US Open earlier in the year because of concerns over the virus.

However, the 2018 French Open and 2019 Wimbledon champion received the vaccine in February.

The current world number 13 recently returned to action for the first time since May, having missed Wimbledon and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with a calf injury.

Halep was eliminated by the United States’ Danielle Collins in the second round of the Canadian Open on her comeback, but yesterday withdrew from the Cincinnati Masters after suffering a small tear in her right adductor during a first round win against Poland’s Magda Linette.

The former world number one added that she had found her injury lay-off more challenging than the five months from March to August 2020 in which events on the WTA Tour were either postponed or cancelled.

"Last year was easier because everybody was home," Halep said.

"But this period was tougher because everyone was playing and I missed two grand slams."

"So it was a little bit painful but these things I hope will make me stronger.

"Now I can just enjoy more the fact that I can be on the court."

COVID-19 vaccinations have proved a significant talking point on both the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and WTA Tours in recent months.

On Tuesday (August 17), men’s world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece said he will not get inoculated unless it becomes compulsory on the ATP Tour.

World number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia said he would oppose any such move back in April.

A number of other stars have expressed some hesitancy with regard to receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, including world number three Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and world number five Elina Svitolina of Ukraine on the WTA Tour.

Australia’s world number one Ash Barty is among those who has been jabbed.

Both professional tennis bodies have so far encouraged but not mandated vaccinations for players.