"We don't want them going out and getting killed": James Blake sought advice before handing Simona Halep Miami Open wildcard
WTAMonday, 18 March 2024 at 11:30
As the Miami Open begins on Tuesday, one main storyline is the return of a certain Simona Halep who will play for the first time since September 2022 at the US Open and tournament director James Blake said he was always ready for her return.
Blake went on Served with Andy Roddick and was quizzed about the return of the Romanian and said that it was his decision and one that he had in mind if the appeal was successful which it was so the potential to save a wildcard was always there.
“That one’s on me,” the former world No. 4 said on the Served with Andy Roddick's podcast. “When it comes to some of the tennis decisions they're going to trust me.”
“I had a feeling we needed to be ready for whether she's going to ask [for a wild card]. We had already gone through a lot of our wild card discussions, and we did, luckily, save one women's wild card because you never know what's going to happen.”
But he also checked with a familiar face, the current coach of Jannik Sinner and one of her biggest supporters and allies in Darren Cahill to see if she was practicing and how she was doing before deciding on a wildcard.
“You don't want to put someone out there who hasn't been practising,” the American added. “It's going to be detrimental to them. We don't want them going out and getting killed. We all came to the same conclusion to welcome her back.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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