Simona Halep: Heart of a Champion - Issue #9

In the midst of a doping scandal, we remember the defining moments of Simona Halep’s career and what makes her great.

Written by Dove Sallow

Many words come to mind when I think of the name Simona Halep. 24 WTA titles. Roland Garros champion. Wimbledon champion. Former world number one. The word “doper” is not one of them. For those who don’t know, the modern matriarch of Romanian tennis tested positive a few days ago for Roxadustat. I don’t believe Simona would ever knowingly take a banned/illegal substance. I’m sure there are people who have their doubts. But I am not here to convince anyone, one way or another. The truth will come out. I’m here to talk about the Simona we all know and love. The feisty counterpuncher who tracks down every ball. The Simona who went toe to toe with the greatest champions who were taller/stronger than her and came out on top. The Simona who never knows when she’s beaten.

Simona comes from Constanta, Romania - a city located on the shores of the Black Sea. It is not known for its tennis. But then again, Romania was not known for tennis before Simona Halep came into the picture. She trained by the beaches of the Black Sea until she turned sixteen, when she moved to Bucharest to follow her dream of becoming a professional tennis player. Her family was not well-off and she did not receive any support from the Romanian government to fund her career. But her parents were incredibly supportive. No dream was too big. As a result, she knows about sacrifice, hard work, and commitment. Simona built her career the old-fashioned way - with a few people who believed in her and a willingness to do things the hard way. Coming from a country not known for tennis stars, she had no other choice but to be authentic.

This authenticity led her to her first grand slam title at Roland Garros in 2018, where she defeated US Open champion, Sloane Stephens. Given that she learned to play tennis on the sands of the Black Sea, it was quite fitting that she won her first major on the red dirt of Paris. Simona notched a come-back win over the in-form and equally quick Stephens, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. One year prior, Simona fell to Jelena Ostapenko at the same stage. Ostapenko was unseeded at the time and in the form of her life. Many players would’ve been defeated by that loss, but Simona used it to better herself. While she looked exhausted in the 2017 final against Ostapenko, it was an entirely different story in 2018 against Stephens. Simona was faster, mentally tougher, and ready to win her first grand slam. In a battle between two of the fastest players on tour, something had to give. Sloane took the first set and raced off to a 2-0 lead in the second by winning the majority of the long rallies. But with her back against the wall, the Romanian showed true grit. She amped up the aggression and took more balls down the line to get herself back on serve. It was an excruciating match to watch, as both women had their chances. But Simona stepped up to her moment. In my opinion, this is when Simona Halep, “The Champion”, was born. She had lost many close matches in many close moments before. So the importance of fighting her way back from a set and a break behind to win her first grand slam final is more significant than many people remember. She’s not the biggest, tallest, or strongest - but Simona Halep has a defiance about her that makes her one of the most special champions of our time.

Simona Halep climbed her way to the top of women’s tennis in an era that was dominated by power and strength. She stands 5 feet and 6 inches in stature, while many of her counterparts are significantly taller. The champions that came before her changed the modern game of tennis (Serena, Venus, Maria Sharapova, Kim Clijsters, etc.) These players etched their legacies in aces, powerful/flat groundstrokes, and brute force. How was this feisty and fearless Romanian supposed to leave her mark? What she lacks in height, she makes up for in foot speed and stamina. What she lacks in muscle mass and physical strength, she makes up for it with strength of the mind. She is by no means a “pusher”. When Simona is at her best, she’s constantly moving her opponents around - making their lives difficult. She spreads the court with beautiful, rolling angles. Her backhand is an underestimated weapon that she can use to hit winners both cross court and down the line. She can hit with a considerable amount of spin on her forehand as well as flatten it out when necessary. Her footwork is among the very best we’ve ever seen. But perhaps her greatest strength is her mind. She’s an incredibly intelligent player who can think her way through matches. She makes adjustments and alters her strategies, almost as if she’s playing chess. When she’s able to turn a tennis match into a chess match. When she’s able to force her physically stronger opponents into positions where they have to try and “think” their way out of trouble, that’s when she’s at her most dangerous.

The best example of this was when she defeated 23-time grand slam champion, Serena Williams, in the final of Wimbledon to claim her second grand slam title in 2019. Tennis commentators and enthusiasts alike refer to Simona’s performance as “the perfect match”. She made three unforced errors for the entirety of the match. This is one of the lowest unforced error counts by a female or male in a grand slam final in history. Simona won the first four games of the match in 12 minutes. The writing was on the wall, plain and clear to see. Simona was completely in the zone. It was a 6-2, 6-2 victory that took all of 56 minutes, making Simona the first Romanian woman to ever win Wimbledon. “I’m very sure that was the best match of my life,” Simona gushed after the match. And it certainly was. She was able to utilize every inch of her 5 foot 6 inch frame. It was clear that the goal was to keep Serena constantly moving. Not necessarily to hit winners, but to keep her off-balance and unable to hit the ball freely in her strike zone. This was a surface that should’ve favored Serena, with her powerful serve and groundstrokes. But Simona was able to make this a chess match, neutralizing all of Serena’s best moves, and attacking when the moment was there for the taking.

If I were to try and recount all of the inspiring moments throughout Simona’s career, I would be writing for months. But when I think about her career as a whole, her grand slams and WTA titles are not the most impressive things I see. She has something intangible, that some of the greatest and most accomplished athletes just simply don’t have in them. She has an unbreakable spirit that simply cannot be held down, no matter how hard you try. Her kindness and light beams off of her and paints tennis in a good light. Simona Halep built a career worth remembering, by defying the odds and being authentically herself. Her story inspires millions, including myself. She’s walking, living, and breathing proof that there’s nothing that can stop you from having the life you want. As I said before, there is nothing that can convince me that she willingly and knowingly took an illegal substance. We’ve all watched this woman grow, fight, and conquer her dreams. As Simona said, the hardest match of her life begins now - and I believe she’ll be victorious in her fight for the truth.