"I dont feel pressure anymore" says Simona Halep

Simona Halep will be making her return to tennis at the National Bank Open in Montreal and the Romanian player says she does not feel pressure anymore.

Simona Halep missed a large chunk of the 2021 season after a lower leg injury prevented her from attending both the French Open and Wimbledon. Halep tried coming back several times but each time she was forced to abandon those plans. Halep spoke ahead of her return in Montreal and admitted to having no expectations:

"I am still far from my level. I don't expect anything big from this tournament ... I was home for three months, and I enjoyed the time. I felt like nothing mattered anymore, just to recover from injury. I'm really excited to be here."

Halep has enjoyed some success in Montreal before especially in 2016 and the former world number one spoke about her memories of Montreal:

"I think I like a lot the conditions. I had great matches; I have great memories. Every time I come back here, I feel at home. I like the court; I like the spectators. I can say it's a good place to come back."

Halep was also asked about dropping out of the top 10 this week and whether that raises the pressure level for her. She pushed back on that narrative saying:

"I'm really proud that I was able to stay so long in the top 10. Unfortunately, the injury got me out because I was not able to play for three months. But I'm not sad, upset, disappointed. I just take it as a new challenge. I don't feel that pressure anymore."