"The chances are minimal" states Simona Halep on Olympic Games dream after intitially targeting Paris

WTA
Monday, 25 March 2024 at 21:00
Halep Miami
Simona Halep commented on her desires to qualify for the upcoming Paris Olympics but acknowledged that her chances are minimal. The former world No. 1 exited in the first round of the Miami Open against Paula Badosa, although after 19 months of absence, she showed a good level of tennis.
At 32 years old, Halep saw her doping ban reduced, which initially would not have allowed her to compete until 2026, and she immediately returned to the WTA Tour, albeit without points or ranking at the moment.
Nevertheless, the 2-time Grand Slam champion acknowledged that she would like to participate in the Olympic Games, knowing that her chances are low with the little time she has to accumulate points.
"I would very much like to be able to qualify, but from what I understand, the chances are minimal. To play in the Olympics in Paris would be wonderful, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. The chances are minimal, because I don't have ranking and I have to be in the first 60-70, something like that," she said.
The top 56 ranked tennis players qualify for the Olympics, with a limit of four players per country. Countries like the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, and the Czech Republic have more than four players within the qualifying zone, so the last qualifiers could be close to around the world No. 70. This implies that the Romanian must have around 1000 points by the deadline.
For this, the ranking after Wimbledon will be considered, meaning that Halep has to earn points in the season on clay, a surface that suits her well as a former French Open champion, and then on grass, where she was also a champion of her second Grand Slam at Wimbledon. However, Halep also depends on getting some wildcards to enter the main tournaments.

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