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Simona Halep emerges from shadows for the French Open and a grand slam Simona Halep emerges from shadows for the French Open and a grand slam
(about 5 hours later)
To most people, if Simona Halep passes them in the streets here over the next fortnight, she will probably be ignored, just another woman going about her business. To Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, the two favourites for the French Open title, she is the player they fear the most. To most people, if Simona Halep passes them in the streets here over the next fortnight she will probably be ignored, just another woman going about her business. To Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, the two favourites for the French Open title, she is the player they fear the most.
That should not be a surprise given that Halep reached her first grand slam final here last year, narrowly losing out to the Russian in a dramatic final. At 5ft, 6in, she is dwarfed by Williams and Sharapova, both in stature and marketing power, but neither underestimate a player whose steely determination has earned her 11 titles in two years and who fears no one. That should not be a surprise given that Halep reached her first grand slam final here last year, narrowly losing to the Russian in a dramatic match. At 5ft 6in, she is dwarfed by Williams and Sharapova, both in stature and marketing power, but neither of them underestimate a player whose steely determination has earned her 11 titles in two years and who fears no one.
At a time when Sharapova and Williams (in that order) are the highest-earners in women’s sport, it is a nice irony that the woman trying to usurp them at the top of the game should be someone who would happily spend every day in their shadow if it meant she could have an easy life. In Romania, Halep is hugely famous; outside it, she can come and go as she pleases. No prizes for guessing which she prefers. At a time when Sharapova and Williams (in that order) are the highest-earners in women’s sport it is a nice irony that the woman trying to usurp them at the top of the game should be someone who would happily spend every day in their shadow if it meant she could have an easy life. In Romania, Halep is hugely famous; outside it, she can come and go as she pleases. No prizes for guessing which she prefers.
“I like it that no one knows me,” the 23-year-old said, in between practice sessions in Rome, where she reached the semi-finals just over a week ago. “I like to stay how I am now. I see some people appreciate my game and my style but I don’t mind that they don’t really know me. I’m OK like this and I want to stay this way.” “I like it that no one knows me,” the 23-year-old said, between practice sessions in Rome, where she reached the semi-finals just over a week ago. “I like to stay how I am now. I see some people appreciate my game and my style but I don’t mind that they don’t really know me. I’m OK like this and I want to stay this way.”
Her invisibility outside Romania is a stark opposite to life at home, where she cannot leave her house without being spotted. “Everyone recognises me, everywhere I go,” she said. “It’s not easy, but it’s the best moment [of my career] and I have just to enjoy it, but sometimes I get tired after a few hours in the city.” At home she cannot leave her house without being spotted. “Everyone recognises me, everywhere I go,” she said. “It’s not easy, but it’s the best moment [of my career] and I have just to enjoy it, but sometimes I get tired after a few hours in the city.”
Halep has not resorted to wearing a disguise but admits she can be confused by the reaction some people have towards her. “They are always nice but sometimes it’s too much because they’re coming up and kissing me and I don’t know how to respond to this,” she said. Halep has not resorted to wearing a disguise but admits she can be confused by the reaction of some people towards her. “They are always nice but sometimes it’s too much because they’re coming up and kissing me and I don’t know how to respond to this,” she said.
When she was 17, Halep had breast reduction surgery to ease back pain, a source of interest for the tabloids every year come Wimbledon. If things go her way over the next two weeks, Halep will have to get used to being known for her tennis. Ranked No3, she has won three titles in 2015 and though the start of her clay court season was hindered by a minor back injury, she looked back on track in Rome and will begin her French Open campaign full of confidence, not least as the memories of last year begin to flow. “I am definitely a better player,” she said. “I have improved a lot in many things. Last year the most important thing was my mental strength. I was very strong. Now I am [physically] stronger, too.” When she was 17, Halep had breast reduction surgery to ease back pain, a source of interest for some newspapers every year come Wimbledon. If things go her way over the next two weeks, Halep will have to get used to being known for her tennis. Ranked No3, she has won three titles this year and though the start of her clay court season was hindered by a minor back injury, she looked back on track in Rome and will begin her French Open campaign on Sunday against Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina full of confidence, not least as the memories of last year begin to flow. “I am definitely a better player,” she said. “I have improved a lot in many things. Last year the most important thing was my mental strength. I was very strong. Now I am [physically] stronger, too.”
Always courteous, Halep has an inner confidence that comes through on court and is plain in her swagger off it. “I am soft [as a person], but on court I am ambitious and I like to fight”, she said. “I like to respect people around me. I have always thought that you have to be a good person before a good player, so I keep that with me and it helps me a lot.” The odd racket-throw, she says, can help too. “I do it sometimes but sometimes you need to release your stress when it’s inside.”Always courteous, Halep has an inner confidence that comes through on court and is plain in her swagger off it. “I am soft [as a person], but on court I am ambitious and I like to fight”, she said. “I like to respect people around me. I have always thought that you have to be a good person before a good player, so I keep that with me and it helps me a lot.” The odd racket-throw, she says, can help too. “I do it sometimes but sometimes you need to release your stress when it’s inside.”
Consistent from the baseline, Halep rarely plays a bad match and is one of the best movers on the Tour, perhaps the best of all. Here last year, she pushed Sharapova all the way in the final and it was only afterwards that she realised what she had achieved. Consistent from the baseline, Halep rarely plays a bad match and is one of the best movers on the Tour, perhaps the best of all. Here last year, she pushed Sharapova all the way in the final and it was only afterwards that she realised what she had achieved. “I can say I didn’t have big emotions that I was playing the big final,” she said. “I just went on court and wanted to try everything to win, but it was an important moment at 4-4 in the third set and I couldn’t manage the pressure, maybe. She was better than me in that moment and I lost it. After the match I was crying a little bit but then it was a perfect day for me.”
“I can say I didn’t have big emotions that I was playing the big final,” she said. “I just went on court and wanted to try everything to win, but it was an important moment at 4-4 in the third set and I couldn’t manage the pressure, maybe. She was better than me in that moment and I lost it. After the match I was crying a little bit but then it was a perfect day for me.” Halep’s every move will be watched by Ion Tiriac, a man who won the French Open doubles title in 1970 with Ilie Nastase and managed Boris Becker. Now, he owns the Madrid Open tournament, is one of Romania’s leading businessmen and can be found, every day, in the corner seat of his box on the front row of Court Philippe Chatrier, the main stadium court at Roland Garros.
Halep’s every move will be watched by Ion Tiriac, a man who won the French Open doubles title in 1970 with Ilie Nastase and who famously managed Boris Becker. Now, he owns the Madrid Open tournament, is one of Romania’s leading businessmen and can be found, every day, in the corner seat of his box on the front row of Court Philippe Chatrier, the main stadium court at Roland Garros.
Halep said she met Tiriac “only last year, after Madrid”, but that she now enjoys picking his brain. “He’s an important guy from Romania,” she said. “He knows tennis, he did many important things in tennis and his life. I respect him a lot and I admire his working and how he thinks about what he has to do. So I take some advice from him and it’s really good to have him around. He has had his box for 35 years there and last year was good, I saw him a lot.”Halep said she met Tiriac “only last year, after Madrid”, but that she now enjoys picking his brain. “He’s an important guy from Romania,” she said. “He knows tennis, he did many important things in tennis and his life. I respect him a lot and I admire his working and how he thinks about what he has to do. So I take some advice from him and it’s really good to have him around. He has had his box for 35 years there and last year was good, I saw him a lot.”
A former junior champion at Roland Garros, Halep has been ranked as high as No2 but said: “My priority is just to play good and to win a grand slam. It’s important as well to be No1 – not many players have been No1 – but Serena is still playing so I am not thinking too much about that.”A former junior champion at Roland Garros, Halep has been ranked as high as No2 but said: “My priority is just to play good and to win a grand slam. It’s important as well to be No1 – not many players have been No1 – but Serena is still playing so I am not thinking too much about that.”