Simona Halep, the world’s number one tennis player
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep ends the year in the first position in WTA standings.
Bogdan Matei, 30.10.2017, 13:48
On Sunday the Romanian tennis player Simona Halep received the year-end WTA World No. 1 Trophy. The only other Romanian to top the worlds tennis rankings was Ilie Nastase, back in the ‘70s, so Simonas performance is an absolute first for the Romanian womens participation in tennis competitions. She didnt refrain from saying that her performance was a big achievement for her country. “Romania is a small country and I am the first female tennis player who has done this. This is the best moment of my career, Halep said upon accepting the trophy, according to the WTA site.
Halep, 26, is the 13th player in the womens professional circuit to end the year on the first position and the 25th since the introduction of the computerized ranking system in 1975. According to sports papers, her performance is the result of painstaking efforts and an iron will. Halep does not have the advantage of height, being way below the circuits average, and neither can she rely on a flawless technique. She has never won a Grand Slam circuit and was eliminated from the Singapore WTA Finals as early as the group stage. Moreover, the Romanian player started off the year on the wrong foot literally, as knee injuries prevented her from finding the right pace. However, she persevered and gained point after point, eventually compelling recognition in a rather unstable ranking after the departure of Serena Williams.
For years now Simona Halep has been Romanias best athlete and also the most popular one in her country, although nothing seemed to be easy for this girl born in Constanta, Romanias largest Black Sea port. Her family took great risks, investing all their resources in Simonas career. And sacrifice is not a strange notion to Simona herself, who in her early days as a tennis player resorted to breast reduction surgery in order to improve her performances. At the age of 26, Simona is still a shy kid, who responds with an awkward smile to the enormous psychological pressure coming from all sides.
Fans adore her, but she somehow manages to attract violent negative reactions in her own country as well. Whenever she loses she finds refuge in her family, who, some critics say, get too involved in her decisions. She also relies a lot on her coaches, although in some peoples opinion, shes changing them too often. And while tennis is an individual sports discipline, Simonas victories and accomplishments continue to fuel up national pride. As some sports commentators put it, “whenever she wins Halep is Romania, and we all win together with her.
(translated by: Daniel Bilt)
