Simona Halep is a Fighter: Exclusive Interview
Simona Halep is a name that everyone is quickly learning if they didn’t know her before. But the only insight that she’ll give us is that she “likes to fight”. She brought that fact up twice in the brief interview with Tennis East Coast on Monday in New Haven.
Her terrific year has propelled her to a career high ranking of World #22. Since June alone, she’s won a stunning 3 WTA titles (Nurnberg, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Budapest). Halep speaks of her great run this summer and that of Romanian compatriot Sorana Cirstea.
Simona Halep, New Haven
On Romanian WTA performance this summer: “We played really good this year. Sorana played really good in Toronto. She had a really good result. I think we are fighting girls.”
She concluded by telling me that she’s “very relaxed on court now and I just like to play with pleasure.” And if I needed a reminder, I got it.
“I’m a normal girl and I like to fight”.
Halep will pick her next fight with Carla Suarez Navarro for a trip to the Quarterfinals at New Haven Open this afternoon.
—Steve Fogleman
Tennis Atlantic 