More than once it has been said that Simona Halep is very stubborn! As this label was put by the people who are really close to her, it is clear that this is the case.
Simona Halep. PHOTO: The Truth Archive
Indeed, this character trait helped the Constanta woman in her career. Because precisely this stubbornness contributed to her rise in women's tennis. Simona, a petite athlete with a height of 1.68 meters, reached the pinnacle of glory in a WTA circuit in which she went toe-to-toe with physically superior opponents. Unfortunately, stubbornness was a double-edged sword, as it contributed to some of Simona's mistakes. For example, he insisted on doing “shield” around Mouratoglou after he failed the doping test, saying that “no one touches my staff!“. This although it was clear that, according to her own words, she used a contaminated supplement at the recommendation of the staff! It wasn't until a year later that Halep corrected this misguided approach and admitted that Mouratoglou and his collaborators had ruined her.
Unfortunately, as people do not change after an age and Halep continues to pay due to stubbornness. The latest evidence: the way he rushed back to the field just days after his doping ban was lifted. It turned out to be an extremely bad decision and Halep is now forced to withdraw from other competitions. After the Billie Jean King Cup and Oeiras, Simona also took part in the Madrid Open.
“Unfortunately, my body needs a little more time to be ready and I made a difficult decision not to play in Madrid. It's difficult because I want to get back on the circuit as soon as possible, but experience tells me not to rush“, wrote the former WTA 1st place holder on social networks.
All roads lead to Rome
It is serious that Halep, an experienced athlete and advised by Ion Țiriac, only now came to his words. After the damage was done! Because Țiriac told him, immediately after the TAS decision, not to go to the Miami Open. His advice was ignored, as he himself told on the show “Ovidiu's friends“, moderated by journalist Ovidiu Ioanițoaia.
“Halep has to take it very slowly with her comeback. I would advise her, although she has been training all the time, to think about whether it is better to start only on clay. There's only one hard tournament left, in Miami. And there are about 20 girls between 18 and 21 years old, over 1.80 meters tall, serving at 200 km/h. I have this privilege to have Miss Halep come and ask me. But whatever I tell her, she does absolutely on her own. He rarely listened to me. And every now and then, when he listened to me, he did bingo! Not that I'm smart, but I've been in this sport for 60 years“, said Țiriac, before Halep made a grueling trip across the ocean. To lose to Paula Badosa in three sets. And, since then, Simona could not play anywhere, becauseBROKEN” right in that match.
Now, for Halep, all roads lead to Rome. Her goal is to play at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia (May 7-19), should she receive a wild-card from the organizers. It would also be the last opportunity for the Romanian to tick off some matches on clay, before the French Open (May 20 – June 9). Indeed, Halep's appearance at the second Grand Slam of the year is in “the fog” currently. Both because of his medical situation and because it remains to be seen whether the French will grant him a wild-card or not.
Romania at the Madrid Open
Round I
Ana Bogdan (64 WTA) – Wang (52 WTA)
Sorana Cîrstea (30 WTA) – bye
Irina Begu (128 WTA) – Fruhvirtova (146 WTA)
The competition starts today and is broadcast by Digi Sport 2.
