"First practice is never great but I feel good" says Halep ahead of Rome

Simona Halep was enjoying herself during the Rome Media day despite admitting that her practice did not feel that great, which is common according to her.

It was not the run Simona Halep had in mind when she arrived in Madrid but she is looking to do much better in Rome. The Romanian player finally won the event in 2020 after losing twice in the final. During the 2021 Media Day, she expressed her enjoyment of Rome saying:

“The weather is beautiful. The courts are beautiful. The club is beautiful. So, everything is beautiful here in Roma. I’m really happy to be here. It’s alive and the energy is nice"

Her first chance to test the courts and the condition came on the morning of the Media Day with Halep admitting that the practice didn't feel great but first ones usually don't:

"Yeah, it’s first practice, so it’s never great from the first moment, but I feel good. I’m looking forward to starting the tournament. I’m excited to be here”.

It's only been six months since Halep played here and played well winning the 2020 edition of the event. She admitted it to being somewhat weird:

"It’s weird that six months ago I have been here. You know, it’s a little bit different. It’s nice because it’s one of my favourite tournaments."

She was also careful not to put any pressure on herself regarding the title defence saying it's a different time:

"I have no expectations and no pressure about defending the title because it’s another year. It’s a different time. But I’m excited to be here."

The draw was not very kind to Halep who might play her first match against Kerber and on that she said:

“(It is) a very tough draw. Always when I played against her the matches were tough. So, I expect a tough battle, and I just want to give my best”.