"Yes, I want it" - Halep aiming for elusive Stuttgart title

Having captured every other big European clay title on the WTA calendar, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix trophy continues to elude Simona Halep. The Romanian has reached the semifinals on two occasions (2015, 2017), but is yet to take the final step that will see her capture the title.

"Yes, I want it," Halep said. "I want it badly. It’s a nice tournament, nice conditions, the people are very nice to me here and, yes it’s one of my goals to win this tournament as well. I want to win all the clay-court tournaments if possible."

The World No.3 was forced to withdraw from the Miami Open after she developed a shoulder injury, but stated that she has been able to practice pain-free since arriving in Stuttgart.

Furthermore, the strong 28-player draw and fast indoor conditions may make it difficult for the 2018 Roland Garros champion. However, the 29-year old remains confident, relying on her past experiences at the event and record against the other top players at the event.

"All the opponents are very strong from the first match," Halep said. "So, it’s kind of tougher than the other tournaments and also the clay indoor probably is not my favorite. But I did semifinals, I played good matches here, I have won against top players. So I cannot say I don’t like it. I like it but it’s a little bit tougher to win the tournament of course."

The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is held in Stuttgart, Germany and runs from April 19-25, 2021.