"He helped me find my love for tennis again"- Halep on Mouratoglou

Simona Halep’s passion for tennis has returned and she has praised Patrick Mouratoglou for helping her to “feel more confident” and excited about competing at the highest level again.

Having started the 2021 season at No 2 in the WTA Rankings, Halep had an injury-disrupted campaign as she missed the French Open and her title defence at Wimbledon. After eventually returning in August, the Romanian struggled to return to form. After starting the 2022 campaign with the Melbourne title, she failed to replicate that form at the Australian Open although there have been signs that she was starting to find her rhythm again in recent weeks.

Writing for Eurosport, Halep said:

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“I feel refreshed; I feel more confident; I feel healthy. Finally! I have no problems now, with no injuries. I feel so happy to be back on the court, and I am looking forward to playing each match because I really want to continue to improve."

Speaking about Mouratoglou, Halep said:

“I had a very different perception of him before we started to work together, and I was very surprised. I really like his personality, his energy and the way he sees tennis. I was actually the one who approached Patrick to propose working with him. Normally, good coaches don’t ask the players to work with them. I asked him if he was available and wanted to work with me."

She further added:

“Patrick has brought me a lot of motivation and helped me to find my love for this sport again. It is a pleasure to be back on the court and to work hard. Everything has changed and now I have to adjust, but I feel as though I have done pretty well so far in the short term. I am looking forward to giving my best every time I am on the court to see how good I can still be.”