(VIDEO): Simona Halep practices in French Open arena despite not getting wild card entry

Former world number one Simona Halep has already started practice ahead of the French Open. The 32-year-old recently returned to action after spending more than 15 months on the sidelines after testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat.

In a video that was released on the social media platform Instagram, Halep can be seen practising with local player Alize Cornet at the Roland Garros Arena in the capital of France. "End of career bucket list: Playing with Simona Halep on Philippe Chatrier Huge love!" wrote Cornet. The development is interesting, considering that French Open authorities have not awarded wild card entry to Halep for the mega-event, which means she will have to play in the qualifying round of the competition.

The Constanta-born has an impressive record while playing at the Roland Garros, where she lifted the title in 2018 after beating America’s Sloane Stephens with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Other than that, she also played in the final of the mega-event two times. In 2014, Halep lost to former world number one Russia’s Maria Sharapova in the grand finale with a score of 6–4, 6–7(5–7), 6–4. In 2017, the two-time Grand Slam winner lost in the final of the French Open to Latvia’s Jeļena Ostapenko with a score of 4–6, 6–4, 6–3.