"I feel a bit of freedom" says Simona Halep on playing without coach

Simona Halep is playing her first event without a coach and she started off with a dominating win over Alison Riske.

The Romanian player has had success in the Persian Gulf before and the 2022 Dubai campaign got off to a hot start. After the match, Halep talked about several things but the media was most interested in the fact that she was playing without a coach. Halep anticipated question about that and said:

“I don’t have a coach right now, I have a sparring partner and he’s travelling with me these days. I didn’t make a decision about the coaching. I’m not looking for a coach, I’m just enjoying my time alone and hopefully, I can do a good job."

She surprised many when she admitted that she feels freedom at the moment:

“I feel a little bit of freedom, so I think I have to enjoy this moment.”

Turning her attention to the mathc, Halep revealed it was special to be back:

“It’s pretty special to play again here. I have great memories here, and winning two times makes it very special… I have some family in the crowd so I’m really happy to be fit and to play some good tennis. I was focused, I did everything that I had to do, and I’m happy to go through.”