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THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Where were you when you got word of your first-round draw?

SIMONA HALEP: On the tennis court. I was practicing.
Q. And who told you? What was your reaction?

SIMONA HALEP: I received the message. My reaction was normal, because this year I had very tough draws every time almost. Of course was a little bit, like, How is possible again? Just first round of a Grand Slam.
But I felt okay. I did my practice normal. I didn't have, like, something emotional. I'm normal.
Q. What are your thoughts on Maria returning to play in a major, given what she was involved in and all that went into it?

SIMONA HALEP: About wildcard, the tournament decided, so they can do anything they want. Is not my position to talk about this.
She's coming back. She's strong enough to come back, in my opinion. She has a lot of experience, and also many tournaments won.
So I think she's okay. Facing her, I'm, like, it's going to be a big challenge, first round of Grand Slam to face her. She beat me six times. So maybe I will change this. We will see Monday.
I just want to do my best, to try to win the match and of course to enjoy it. It's a big, big match.
Q. What especially is it about her or her game that's been difficult for you before?

SIMONA HALEP: I was so close many times. I don't know exactly what to say about this, but just a little bit difficult because maybe of the game that she's playing flat, she's playing risky, and maybe in the most important moments during the matches against her I couldn't step in and just take the opportunity.
I can't analyze much the game against her.
Q. What do you think the crowd reaction is going to be? Knowing how close you are to becoming No. 1 in the world? Knowing that she's a former champion here. How...

SIMONA HALEP: Eight players are close to go to No. 1 after this tournament, so I'm not the only one.
I don't know about the crowd. We will see Monday. But everyone here was very fair to me always, and I had a very nice crowd.
So I don't expect anything bad. I just expect a nice atmosphere, like always here in US Open. And we will see when we gonna play. If it's gonna be night, will be better.
Q. Will be night.

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah? You sure? Okay.
Q. In 2014 you guys played a lot, you and Maria. How different of a player do you think you are? You haven't played her very often since that. I think just once. How different of a player do you think you are from 2014?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I am different in all the ways, in my opinion. Mentally, also, like player, game, I feel stronger than 2014. I feel with more experience. I faced many situations in these three years.
I feel better, and I feel that I'm ready to face her again. Doesn't matter what the result will be. I just want to change something. Maybe I can win. We will see.
Q. As you mentioned, eight players here could emerge as No. 1 by the end of this tournament. What does that say about the opportunity, not just for you guys at the very top, but for the entire field?

SIMONA HALEP: I think that everyone gets more confidence that everything is possible. Like we see the Grand Slams, champion Grand Slam is changing all the time, so I think all the players have to be, like, more confident and to think that everyone can do big things.
Q. How aware are you that a lot of people will want to beat Maria for more reasons than tennis? How important is that for you to put that out of your mind while you're on court?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I'm not thinking what Maria did or what Maria does and how is the situation. I'm just thinking about myself. I just really want to go there and to play my best tennis. Is not going to be easy, because, like I said, I lost against her few times, so is just another match, another challenge, another possibility to face her, and to try to win against her. And that's it.
Q. You have been so close to No. 1 a few times. Has that been hard mentally? How difficult is it kind of not to think about that?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, I was close -- well, in French Open, really close. And then in Wimbledon, but I can't say about final in Cincinnati because the score was pretty bad so I was not close.
I'm not thinking anymore. It was enough. I thought about it too much, I think, and maybe the pressure came in important moments, so now is gone. Everyone can take the No. 1, and if it's gonna happen, I will deserve it. If not, no, we will see.
Q. Maria is obviously working her way back on tour but you have had to play other players making a comeback, you have beaten them all.

SIMONA HALEP: I hope I can beat her, also.
Q. Will you approach those players differently, those players who haven't had much match practice?

SIMONA HALEP: I just change a little bit my mentality. I take the match, like, I don't think about who I play. I just want to give my best in that day. Doesn't matter against who I play. Just -- I don't want to put pressure on myself that I'm facing Maria Sharapova. It's a normal player. She's coming back, so she played really well in the past, so she's still a good player.
So I have just to think about myself and to focus on myself.
Q. You said you don't feel pressure anymore. How does that work? Is there a switch you flip?

SIMONA HALEP: It's not easy. It's not easy.
Q. What happened?

SIMONA HALEP: I lost three times the opportunity to get there. So enough is enough. If I think looked like I cannot make it, so maybe I change. If I'm not thinking about it, maybe I will be more relaxed and I can get it.
But I repeat: If I deserve it, I will win it. If not, that's it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Initial thoughts and reaction after that tough battle?
SIMONA HALEP: What can I say? Much I cannot say.
But I'm sad, of course, losing this match. But I think I give everything I had. She was better. She was serving better. My serve was very bad today.
Q. Did this feel much like an opening-round match in term was of the atmosphere on court and the level of play?
SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, in my opinion was very tough. Was not like first-round match. But this is the draw. I cannot say anything else, just that's it. It's the luck.
It was a tough one for first round, for sure. But still I think I played okay. She played really well. It was a good match. It was good for the fans.
Q. How do you think you were able to turn around the second set from 1-4 down?
SIMONA HALEP: I just stayed there. I didn't think that I lost the match. I just kept fighting, playing. I feel that I started to play a little bit more relaxed after that score. Then I got the confidence back. Actually, I didn't lose the confidence during the match because I felt that I was very close, also in the first set.
So it was really well, in my opinion. I mean, I cannot judge myself for not doing something, just the serve, because was a bad serve today.
Q. What was particularly bothering you on the serve?
SIMONA HALEP: I didn't have the timing, the feeling. I don't know why. Maybe because was night. It's always different. I didn't practice night. But these are excuses.
I just had to try something else, but I didn't. So was my bad there.
Q. What did you feel or sense when Maria at the end of the match, her eyes got moist, she began to cry, fell to the court? What were your thoughts about that? What does that say about Maria Sharapova?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I didn't see that moment because I was pretty sad that I lost the match. What can I say? I think it's a big victory for her. She was staying away so many months. She's coming now. In my opinion, she played really well.
So maybe that's why. She feels she got the game back and she's happy.
Q. Do you think her return will have impact on the tour?
SIMONA HALEP: I cannot comment much because I don't know very well her, like, personality. She might come back very strong. She might not. I don't know. She faced some injuries in the past. So we will see. I cannot say much.
Q. On paper, your serve was not that bad, but it seems you were serving a lot into her body. Was that part of your game plan?
SIMONA HALEP: No, I wanted to go more on the backhand, but didn't go. The percentage maybe was good, but was too slow. She could attack the return very easy. So that's why I think I lost so many serve games. That's maybe why I lose the match. I'm pretty sure about that.
Q. You obviously had the momentum at the end of the second set. Before the third, she left the court.
SIMONA HALEP: Like always.
Q. Did that throw you off at all?
SIMONA HALEP: I'm used. When I play against her, she does that all the time. So I didn't think about that. It's her style and I don't comment.
Q. Obviously you played her six times before. With her not having played much at all this year, was there still a lot of unknown about what this match would be like? Also, it being your first match of the tournament, no other matches on that court this year, a lot of mystery before that match.
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I knew how she's playing. I expected her to hit everything because physically I think if we stay in the big rallies, I'm a little bit stronger because I play every day. She was out for a few months. That's the reason.
But she was very strong today. She hit everything. Some balls were really well, really good, and I couldn't even touch them.
For first round, was tough one, for sure. When you get to the tournament with some matches before, it's much easier. You feel the rhythm, you feel everything. But today was a little bit tougher.
Q. Based off the matches you had played against her before, did she do anything differently today that you saw? Were the angles maybe a little bit better?
SIMONA HALEP: No, I felt that she played the same. She always plays the same against me.
Q. You've had good results this summer. Does it still feel a bit like a cruel summer having these tough moments like today?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, of course, is tough moment. I cannot be happy with something like that. I'm sad, of course.
But that's tennis. I cannot say anything. I gave everything I had. Today she was stronger. I have just to go and work harder, to improve in my serve more. I didn't talk much with Darren, but he will tell me what I have to improve more. But definitely I have to work harder.
Q. Three tough finals this year. So close to be No. 1.
SIMONA HALEP: I'm gone now. I'm out of the list.
Q. Did it ever cross your mind, What's going on here? Some kind of test?
SIMONA HALEP: You mean luck and unluck, if I'm lucky or unlucky? No. I'm not thinking. I feel I'm very lucky person that I have this life, the chance to play in the top for so many years.
I played final. Of course, I was sad, but was not the luck. I think I didn't play good enough to win that match. In the rest, I gave up maybe in some matches. Not giving up, but I didn't believe much that I can win. That's why I lost.
So I'm not thinking that I'm unlucky person. I'm very lucky.
Q. How will you spend the next couple of days?
SIMONA HALEP: What do you think (smiling). Racquets away, holiday, then work

With a run to the final of the China Open in Beijing, Romania's Simona Halep will become the new WTA World No.1 when the updated rankings are released on Monday, October 9.

The 26-year-old becomes the first player representing Romania to achieve this historic milestone since the computer rankings were introduced in 1975, and will be the 25th woman overall to hold the No.1 ranking.

Her rise to WTA World No.1 brings an end to the reign of Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza, who spent four weeks in the position, and she is the fifth woman in 2017 to hold top spot, also following Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams and Karolina Pliskova.

Simona Halep made the final of the China Open on Saturday (Getty)
This triumph is the latest peak in a surging career for Romania's best player, and comes off the back of reaching her fifth WTA final of the season in Beijing.

In the last 52 weeks, Halep has won the Madrid Open for the third Premier Mandatory title of her career, and reached the final of the French Open, the Italian Open and the Cincinnati Open, and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.

This season, she's scored five Top 10 victories and has made the last eight in 11 of her past 13 tournaments.

At the conclusion of the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, Halep became the active player with the longest streak of consecutive weeks ranked inside the world's Top 10.

Halep entered the Top 10 for the first time on January 27, 2014, and has been there ever since.



Halep will be presented with the WTA World No.1 Trophy, the focal point of which is a silver "star-map" tennis ball that represents the tennis universe. All World No.1s, past and present, are depicted by a diamond in the sky, which represents each champion’s mark on the sport.

Halep is one of seven women to have qualified in singles for the 2017 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global later this month – an event at which she made her debut in 2014, when she reached the final.

Roger Federer uważa, że powinno się uszanować to, iż Simona Halep zakończyła 2017 rok na pierwszym miejscu w rankingu WTA. Szwajcar przypomniał, że tenisowy sezon to nie tylko turnieje wielkoszlemowe.

Rafał Smoliński
Rafał Smoliński
29 Października 2017, 10:01
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PAP/EPA / ROMAN PILIPEY / Na zdjęciu: Simona Halep

Simona Halep zakończy 2017 rok jako liderka rankingu WTA
Simona Halep zgromadziła w tym roku 6175 punktów, co pozwoliło jej zostać 13. tenisistką w historii, która zakończyła sezon na samym szczycie. Rumunka nie sięgnęła po wielkoszlemowe mistrzostwo, ale była w finale Rolanda Garrosa. Do tego dołożyła tytuł w Madrycie oraz finały imprez w Rzymie, Cincinnati i Pekinie. Podczas rozgrywanych w Singapurze Mistrzostw WTA wygrała tylko jeden mecz.
Rogera Federera zapytano o to, co sądzi o obecnej sytuacji w kobiecym tenisie. Szwajcar nie widzi żadnych problemów, aby liderką była zawodniczka bez tytułu wielkoszlemowego na koncie. - Osoba, która zajmuje pierwsze miejsce, zasłużyła na to, aby być na szczycie. Niczego nie powinno się jej odbierać, ani nikomu, kto ciężko pracował przez całe życie, by zrealizować swoje marzenia.


- Halep miała swoje szanse, aby zostać liderką rankingu WTA i udało się jej zakończyć sezon na pierwszym miejscu. Uważam, że każdy powinien oddać jej szacunek, na który zasługuje. Tu nie chodzi tylko o turnieje wielkoszlemowe. Grała przez cały sezon, ciężko trenowała i poświęciła się. To również powinno zostać nagrodzone - stwierdził Szwajcar, który w niedzielę powalczy w Bazylei o tytuł z Juanem Martinem del Potro.

Simona Halep została uznana za najbardziej wpływową kobietę w Rumunii. Aktualna liderka rankingu WTA wyprzedziła m.in. zasiadającą w Komisji Europejskiej komisarz ds. polityki regionalnej.

Rafał Smoliński
Rafał Smoliński
06 Grudnia 2017, 21:18
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Getty Images / Julian Finney / Na zdjęciu: Simona Halep z nagrodą za zajęcie 1. miejsca w rankingu WTA na koniec sezonu 2017

Dyrektor Australian Open: Serena Williams zgłosiła się do turnieju
Jak doniósł portal Business Review, Simona Halep uzyskała 460 punktów i zajęła pierwszą pozycję. Na drugim miejscu znalazła się zasiadająca w Komisji Europejskiej komisarz ds. polityki regionalnej, Corina Cretu (415 punktów), zaś na trzecim Anca Vlad (405 punktów).
Sukcesy Halep sprawiły, że po raz pierwszy znalazła się ona w Top 300 najbogatszych Rumunów. Według wyliczeń mediów tenisistka z Konstancy zarobiła w 2017 roku na korcie lub poza nim 20 mln euro. Na czele tej listy po raz czwarty z rzędu jest bliski przyjaciel aktualnej liderki rankingu WTA, były tenisista i właściciel turnieju w Madrycie, Ion Tiriac.


W zakończonym przed paroma tygodniami sezonie 2017 Halep wygrała imprezę rozgrywaną w hiszpańskiej stolicy oraz była w finale turniejów na kortach Rolanda Garrosa, w Rzymie, Cincinnati i Pekinie. Podczas zawodów China Open została numerem jeden światowej klasyfikacji i na pierwszej pozycji zakończyła tenisowy rok.

Simona Halep marzy o zdobyciu wielkoszlemowego tytułu. - Największe szanse mam w Paryżu. Dwa razy grałam w finale i myślę, że te korty mi odpowiadają - powiedziała Rumunka.
Łukasz Iwanek
Łukasz Iwanek
08 Grudnia 2017, 19:08
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Getty Images / Julian Finney / Na zdjęciu: Simona Halep z nagrodą za zajęcie 1. miejsca w rankingu WTA na koniec sezonu 2017

Gwiazdorska obsada turnieju w Stuttgarcie. Przyjadą Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza i Maria Szarapowa

Dla Simony Halep 2017 rok był bardzo dobry. Zakończy go jako liderka rankingu, ale wciąż brakuje w jej kolekcji wielkoszlemowego tytułu. Wielkiej szansy nie wykorzystała w Rolandzie Garrosie. W finale Rumunka prowadziła z Jeleną Ostapenko 6:4, 3:0 oraz 3:1 w III secie, ale mistrzynią została Łotyszka.

Dla Halep była to druga okazja na triumf w Paryżu. W 2014 roku przegrała w finale z Marią Szarapową po trzysetowej batalii. W pozostałych wielkoszlemowych imprezach jej najlepsze rezultaty to półfinały Wimbledonu 2014 i US Open 2015. W Australian Open dwa razy doszła do ćwierćfinału (2014, 2015).

Po zostaniu liderką rankingu chce sięgnąć po wielki skalp. - Marzę o wielkoszlemowym tytule. To mój kolejny cel, właściwie jedyny, jaki pozostał mi do zrealizowania. Nie wiem, czy to będzie w 2018 roku, czy w kolejnych latach, ale chcę wygrać wielkoszlemowy turniej - powiedziała Halep.

- Sądzę, że tak - odpowiedziała, gdy zapytano ją, czy Roland Garros to dla niej największa szansa na realizację tego celu. - Osiągnęłam już dwa finały i sądzę, że korty w Paryżu mi odpowiadają. Jako tenisistka dojrzewałam na mączce i uzyskuję przewagę, gdy gram na tej nawierzchni - stwierdziła Rumunka.

Halep stara się nie myśleć o tym, że po zostaniu numerem jeden na świecie, będzie uważana za faworytkę Australian Open. - Nigdy nie jest łatwo rozpoczynać sezon, ponieważ przerwa trwała trzy miesiące, więc w pierwszych tygodniach nowego roku trudno się rywalizuje - powiedziała Rumunka.

- W przeszłości w Melbourne dwa razy grałam w ćwierćfinale. Oczywiście po zostaniu liderką rankingu mam więcej pewności siebie, ale nie mogę powiedzieć, że jestem faworytką do wygrania Australian Open. Po prostu chcę się dobrze przygotować, ciężko pracować i zobaczymy, co się wydarzy - mówiła Halep.

Simona Halep zakończyła trwającą sześć lat dominację Agnieszki Radwańskiej. Fani uznali, że ich ulubienicą w sezonie 2017 była aktualna liderka rankingu WTA.
Rafał Smoliński
Rafał Smoliński
15 Grudnia 2017, 17:40
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Getty Images / Julian Finney / Na zdjęciu: Simona Halep z nagrodą za zajęcie 1. miejsca w rankingu WTA na koniec sezonu 2017

Agnieszka Radwańska z zagraniem roku. Po raz piąty z rzędu (wideo)
Rumunka od początku zdawała się być najgroźniejszą kandydatką do zdetronizowania Polki i tak też się stało. Fani zdecydowali, że ich ulubioną tenisistką w sezonie 2017 była Simona Halep. Tenisistka z Konstancy wyprzedziła Agnieszkę Radwańską. Na trzeciej pozycji znalazła się powracająca do touru po nielegalnym stosowaniu meldonium Rosjanka Maria Szarapowa. WTA nie ogłosiła, ile proc. głosów zdobyły poszczególne tenisistki.
W zakończonym roku Halep wygrała zawody WTA Premier Mandatory na kortach ziemnych w Madrycie. Potem dotarła do finału imprez w Rzymie, Paryżu (Roland Garros), Cincinnati oraz Pekinie. Po turnieju w Chinach została nową numer jeden światowego rankingu i pozycję tę utrzymała do końca sezonu.

- Osiągnęłam już dwa wielkoszlemowe finały i sądzę, że korty w Paryżu mi odpowiadają. Jako tenisistka dojrzewałam na mączce i uzyskuję przewagę, gdy gram na tej nawierzchni - stwierdziła Rumunka, kiedy zapytano ją, czy na kortach Rolanda Garrosa doszukuje się swojej największej szansy na zdobycie premierowego tytułu w Wielkim Szlemie.

Rumunka Simona Halep została zwyciężczynią pokazowego turnieju Intercontinental World Tennis Thailand Championship 2017 rozgrywanego na korcie twardym w Hua Hin.
Rafał Smoliński
Rafał Smoliński
24 Grudnia 2017, 15:20
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Getty Images / Clive Brunskill / Na zdjęciu: Simona Halep

Nie ma Rafaela Nadala, będzie Serena Williams. Amerykanka wystąpi w Abu Zabi
Liderka rankingu WTA pokonała w niedzielnym finale Czeszkę Karolinę Pliskovą 6:2, 6:3. W partii otwarcia wygrała od stanu po 2 cztery gemy z rzędu, zaś w drugim secie szybko uzyskała i do końca utrzymała przewagę przełamania. Trzecie miejsce w tajlandzkich zawodach zajęła Brytyjka Johanna Konta, która zwyciężyła Łotyszkę Jelenę Ostapenko 6:3, 6:2.
Simona Halep nie opuszcza jeszcze Hua Hin, ponieważ poinformowała organizatorów, że będzie to jej baza treningowa przed kolejnymi występami. Rumunka stwierdziła, że nawierzchnia kortu jest bardzo podobna do tej stosowanej w Melbourne, gdzie odbywa się wielkoszlemowy Australian Open.


Zanim jednak Halep uda się na Antypody, poleci do Shenzhen, gdzie weźmie udział w rozpoczynającym nowy sezon turnieju rangi WTA International. Pochodząca z Konstancy tenisistka to triumfatorka chińskiej imprezy z 2015 roku.

World No.1 Simona Halep won her first title of 2018 on Saturday, coming through a delayed three-set final against Katerina Siniakova to win the Shenzhen Open 6-1, 2-6, 6-0.

The final was moved indoors after repeated rain delays and began six hours after its scheduled start time, but Halep rose to the occasion in the difficult conditions to secure her first title as the World No.1.

The two players were squaring off to see who would join Li Na as the lone two-time champions at the event, with Halep having won her first title in 2015 and Siniakova winning her title a year ago.

“It’s been a great week for me as I’ve been playing very well," Halep said. "It was a difficult match and she played very well. I think we had a great match today. I tried everything to win."

"I was a little bit less nervous and just tried to enjoy the moment even if we are playing indoors. It’s not easy but we did our job and I’m happy that I could win the first title of the year."

Halep stormed to the first set in under half an hour, breaking Siniakova twice in a dominant start in which she lost just seven points on serve overall.

Having defeated Halep in three sets in the second round on her way to the title a year ago, Siniakova would not go quietly in her title defense. The No.6 seed finally found her feet in the second set, breaking in the fourth game to move 3-1 ahead.

Despite being broken back in the very next game, the Czech maintained her focus to take Halep's serve twice more and level the match at a set apiece.

The deciding set began with another break, with Siniakova losing serve, and she was again broken to love in the third game of the set, double faulting to allow Halep to move 3-0 ahead.

The Romanian did not look back from there, breaking once again to ease to the title and further confirm her place as top seed for the Australian Open, which starts in a week's time.

"I didn’t play as well as I did last year in the final but Simona really played well today. It’s a good start to the season for me, but of course, a better start for Simona," Siniakova said in defeat.

"Last season, I won two titles after making the final here so hopefully I can get more titles again this year."