One More Mountain to Climb

This story first appeared in the May/June issue of Long Island Tennis Magazine

Since the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) began producing its world rankings in 1975, there have been just 25 different players who have achieved the distinction of “World Number One.” The latest to join that exclusive club was Romania’s Simona Halep, who took over the world’s top spot for the first time last October, and reclaimed the title this past February.

“It’s very emotional … I think it was the first time I cried on court,” said Halep after she defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the China Open semifinals, which resulted in Halep moving to the top of the WTA Women’s Singles Rankings. “It’s amazing that I could do this. My team, everyone at home is watching … I want to thank everyone. It’s my special day.”

Reaching the pinnacle of the women’s game was clearly a monumental accomplishment for Halep, and it may have been made just a little sweeter by having defeated Ostapenko to reclaim it.

Halep had an opportunity to move into the top spot at Roland Garros as she battled Ostapenko in the 2017 French Open finals. It was an epic battle between the two contrasting players: Ostapenko, the power-hitting youngster with nothing to lose, and Halep, the fundamentally-sound veteran who had already reached a Grand Slam final before.

Playing for her first major title and a shot at the number one ranking, Halep won the first set and built a 3-0 advantage in the second set, and seemed to be on her way to a career-defining victory. Whether it was the pressure of the moment, or just simply lights-out hitting from Ostapenko, Halep would squander that lead and the match, losing in the French Open final for the second time in her career.

“I’m sad I couldn’t win it, but it was a great experience,” Halep said to the crowd after the match. “I felt sick to my stomach to play in this final, so maybe next time.”

“I think everything was by her [Ostapenko] side today,” Halep added later. “But she has one rhythm, and she stays in that place, which is a great thing even if you miss a few balls in a row. For me, this one hurts a lot because I realize more what is happening than three years ago. It hurts a lot, and I need time for it to go away.”

The defeat was a devastating one for Halep, and she wore her emotions on her sleeve when discussing it with the media. She would have other opportunities throughout the summer to climb to number one, but fell short each chance she had, including another heartbreaking defeat in a Grand Slam, this time to Great Britain’s Johanna Konta in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

But Halep continued to use her shortcomings as motivation to keep pushing herself, and finally achieved the honor of the world number one ranking with her performance at the China Open.

She carried that momentum into 2018, winning the Shenzhen Open to start the year before reaching the Australian Open final, where she squared off against Caroline Wozniacki, a former number one herself who was also seeking her maiden Grand Slam title.

The third time was not the charm for Halep, as she suffered yet another brutal loss in a Grand Slam final. Unlike the two previous defeats at Roland Garros, this one came under the scorching Melbourne sun in a match where she held match points and lost in a long three-set battle.

“Physically, it was very tough. But mentally, I was ready and I feel I can face any challenge, I can play against anyone and I can win against anyone. But Caroline was better than me,” said a somber Halep after the match. “I will continue to fight, as I have for many years, and hopefully I will face another challenge like today. The people watching back home said I couldn’t make it the third time, maybe the fourth time will be good luck. Hopefully next year, I will see you in the same position.” 

Despite the anguish that came with her defeats in big spots over the last year, Halep handled each with the right mentality and outlook. Her confidence has not yet wavered and she has been able to stay atop the ever-fluctuating WTA Women’s Singles Rankings.

A lot of her positivity can be traced back to her relationship with Coach Darren Cahill, who has helped Halep battle some of her own on-court demons which have affected her play in the past. With on-court coaching now allowed, tennis fans have been able to see first-hand the influence that Cahill has had.

“You have an opportunity to make a difference. That’s all I can say,” Cahill said to Halep during a timeout at a tournament last year. “You’ve been in this position many times before, and most times, you’re coming out second best. Right now, you have an opportunity to change things. It’s up to you. You can decide what you want to do here. You can go down this path and that’s fine. Or you can take a deep breath, put your towel on your head and try to get a little better in these situations. It’s as simple as that. It’s up to you. It comes from within. It’s no problem venting and getting all this stuff out, that’s no problem, as long as you are willing to make a difference. And if she beats you playing great tennis, no worries. Shake her hand and tell her ‘well done.’”

While Cahill and Halep often discuss strategy and tactics, the time can sometimes be more valuable if Halep is allowed to vent all of her frustrations, that way she doesn’t carry it on to the court with her. That dynamic has gone a long way to her improvement and her consistency.

With all of that for context, the WTA calendar has turned to the clay-court season, where Halep flourishes. And now that she is battle-tested, hungrier, and with her past success at the French Open, Halep should be considered the favorite at Roland Garros this year.

Her incredible fitness, plus her consistent groundstrokes make her a perfect fit for clay, and the results over her career have shown that. But the field in Paris this year is trickier than the one she nearly conquered in 2017, with the likes of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka all back in contention, plus emerging stars such as Elina Svitolina and defending champion Ostapenko, so Halep will have her work cut out for her. But being the fighter that she is, Halep will be ready for any challenge as she tries to win her first major title.

Three of the last four Grand Slam champions in the women’s game were first-time champions and don’t be surprised if that trend continues. Halep is long overdue, and has the pedigree to claim her first major title.

“I’m just thinking about improving my game more, to keep working … and not thinking about rankings anymore,” Halep said last month. “I’m just training for a Grand Slam and to win titles. I have learned that I’m able to do great things. Of course it was one of my dreams to get to number one, but I never believed 100 percent that I’d be able to do that and after I did it, it was a relief and it gave me the power to go ahead and do better things. So I’m thinking now that everything is open and I’m able to do anything.”