Simona Halep says she was ‘super close to stopping’ due to injury last season
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“So I was skeptical that my body could still survive at the highest level in tennis,” he continued. “Yeah, maybe I was too close to stop. I didn’t have the energy and confidence to stay on tour and at the highest level.”
After that, an editor’s injury hampered her recovery, but she eventually returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open, where she advanced to the fourth round.
Earlier this month, Halep announced Patrick Moratoglu as his full-time coach and began recovering. Muratoglu is one of the top tennis coaches and is known for his partnership with Serena Williams.
“I think I can relate to him, and he has enough power to guide me and I needed someone who could guide me,” Halep told the WTA.
“No one can compare to Serena, so I won’t do that anymore. He knows I’m a different person, I have a different way of playing, this person has a different structure. And we really have that. We don’t talk about it. We just focus on ourselves, how we have it, what we have to do, to be the best version of ourselves. “
With Mouratoglou, Halep is working on a more aggressive strategy as it prepares for the upcoming French Open.
“I already knew I had to be a little bit more aggressive because tennis is changing, in my opinion, and that’s a lot of power,” Halep said. “So I can say that if I was 100 meters behind the court, some players would be able to overcome me.
“I didn’t have the strength or the means to overplay them a bit. So I was getting the strength. Now, being more aggressive, I think I have a better chance.”
Halep is currently in action at the Matwa Madrid Open, where he defeated Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-3 in the first round on Thursday. In the second round, she will face World No. 2 Paula Badusa.
