Performances of Romanian tennis players at Roland Garros

Romanian tennis players obtained remarkable results at the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament.

Valentin Țigău, 10.06.2014, 12:58

Aged 22, Simona Halep has gone up one position in WTA standings, and ranks 3rd, becoming arguably the best Romanian tennis player right now. Halep last week obtained the most important result of her career, a final played against Maria Sharapova of Russia at Roland Garros. Halep is the second Romanian tennis player to play a final in the French Open after her current manager Virginia Ruzici, who lost the final to Christ Evert of the United States in 1980. Here is what Simona Halep told the press conference after she had lost the final against Maria Sharapova:

“It was the most important match of my career, my first Grand Slam final, which I will never forget. I am happy to have represented Romania, and I thank you for all your support!”

Halep has had an outstanding season so far, after last year she was declared the woman tennis player with the most rapid ascension. In May 2013 Halep ranked 64th in WTA standings and had previously won no WTA tournament. Last year Simona won no less than 7 tournaments, in Nurnberg, s-Hertogenbosch, Budapest, New Haven, Moscow, Sofia and Doha. In addition Halep lost the final of the Madrid tournament, also to Maria Sharapova. This year she has become the best-ranked Romanian tennis player of all times, and the third Romanian tennis player to make it to the world’s top ten players, after Irina Sparlea and Virginia Ruzici.

Former Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci wrote after the Roland Garros final, that Simona Halep’s performance at Roland Garros was a historic success. “What a performance! You’ve made Romania proud! Thank you!”, Nadia also added. Halep left the French Open confident she can aim even higher in the following years.

Over the next period Halep will be preparing for the Wimbledon tournament on the grass court, in an attempt to take on the world’s top two positions, currently held by Serena Williams of the United States and Na Li of China. Born in Constanta on the Romanian Black Sea Coast, Simona Halep made her debut at Roland Garros in 2008, when she won the juniors’ singles. Also last week, Ioana Ducu and Ioana Rosca won the juniors’ doubles finals, while Florin Mergea reached the semi-finals of the doubles competition with his team mate Marin Draganja of Croatia.