
The state of play heading to the Asian swing
The Grand Slams might have been completed for 2018, but there is still plenty to play
The world’s top-ranked female tennis player, and reigning RG champion, is in high demand this week.
Tournament volunteers hover around Simona Halep with a dozen rackets ready to be signed at the Wuhan Open.
As the world’s top-ranked female tennis player, and reigning Roland-Garros champion, Halep is in high demand this week in this rapidly-growing city of 11 million in central China.
Having attended the draw ceremony for the event, one of the most lucrative on the women’s WTA Tour with a prize money pot of $2.8 million, the 26-year-old Romanian hit the red carpet at the player party at the sprawling Wuhan Hilton.
Hitting the Wuhan Open red carpet last night ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BSbyi8AFQ8
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) September 23, 2018
After a whirlwind of a season, during which she won her first grand slam title on her fourth attempt, Halep is in a bit of pain as she is about to embark on one big last push before the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore next month.
“My back locked up a little bit during the practice yesterday, I don’t know why,” Halep told RolandGarros.com at the Wuhan Open.
Aches and pains are part and parcel of being a tennis player at this stage of the tennis season, which is one of the longest in professional sports.
It’s at moments like this that Halep allows herself to go back to that hot Saturday afternoon at Roland-Garros on June 9, the day she overcame her demons to become a grand slam singles champion at last.
“Of course, you move on, otherwise it is not easy to go and win matches,” Halep said. “But when I close my eyes sometimes, and I’m really tired and a little bit sad of what is happening during the day, I just take the memories back, and it gives me happiness.”
Halep’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over American Sloane Stephens came a year after a heartbreaking loss in the French Open final, when she lost from a winning position against the unseeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
“Last year...I felt the pressure and I didn’t manage it very well,” Halep said. “This year, I said, everyone is for me and I just have to put it into a positive way. I felt the energy, and I felt the power to be able to win that match.”
Honoured that the Romfilatelia has created a stamp to mark my @rolandgarros victory 😊
— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) August 30, 2018
I better get writing some letters 💌 pic.twitter.com/AT8ccx4sSJ
Her victory was celebrated wildly in Romania, where she is a superstar with her own postage stamp.
Three days after Halep’s triumph, only the second for Romania since her manager, Virginia Ruzici, took the French Open title in 1978, more than 20,000 people showed up in a Bucharest football stadium to welcome her home.
“It was an amazing atmosphere, and also seeing that the people are appreciating your efforts and your results, it gives me more power to go ahead and more motivation,” said Halep.
“It was unbelievable, I didn’t really expect that, I expected about 5,000 people,” she said. “It was really impressive.”
"I want to thank Romania for everything it has given me so far. I hope this trophy is the beginning of a new generation of champions. I don't want to leave this scene, it's too beautiful. Thank you and my heart is with you" - a very emotional Simona Halep.
— Ramona Toderaş (@RamonaToderas) June 11, 2018
📽: Digi Sport pic.twitter.com/fxKJZ1LeOS
After reaching back-to-back finals at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros, Halep lost in the third round of Wimbledon and suffered a shock defeat to Estonian Kaia Kanepi in the first round of the US Open.
Still, she has been consistent on the women’s Tour, winning titles in Shenzhen, China and in Montreal, Canada, and has a big lead in the rankings over world No. 2 and Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
“To finish No. 1 this year, I hope to do that,” Halep said, when asked about her goals. “And next year, I was thinking in the car coming here today, we have a big chance in the Fed Cup. I will set my goal after Singapore for sure, but one of them is to play my best tennis in Fed Cup.”
The Grand Slams might have been completed for 2018, but there is still plenty to play
Osaka embraces ‘special’ homecoming as New York heroics sink in
We shine the spotlight on Simona Halep, the newly-crowned queen of Roland Garros.