“It Will be Difficult For Me” – Simona Halep on Restarting Tennis

World Number two Simona Halep made a perfect beginning of the season. She lost her semifinal match at Australian Open by a few points point to Garbine Muguruza, and later she was triumphant in Dubai as she lifted up the 20th WTA trophy of her career.

Post that she withdrew from Indian Wells, and was preparing for Miami Open. But with the incoming of the pandemic, she was ought to be confined in her residence in Romania.

“My longest break before the lockdown has been of 3-4 weeks and [returning to competitions] was very difficult for me. You lose pace, you lose focus … and then physically, if you idle about for a whole week you’ve lost half a year,” Simona Halep told AGERPRES.

However, presently the two-time Grand Slam champion Halep is skeptical about regaining her perfect form when the circuit resumes. She hasn’t played any professional match for three months now, and she’s concerned about her tennis when everything returns to normalcy.

“I don’t know what others have done during this time, maybe some did training runs, maybe they did strength workouts, I don’t know, I can’t assume. But I feel it on my own skin that it will be a bit difficult for me. It matters a lot that I haven’t had official matches,” she added.

“You can train five hours a day for a whole year, if you are not on an official game, you’re out when you step on court … I mean, you’re not in the game at all. There’s a big difference.”

“I am slowly trying to experience new feelings” – Simona Halep 

But on a positive note, the Romanian ace Halep got a chance to spend time with her during the several weeks of lockdowns. As over the past few years, she was just involved in perfecting her tennis, won Grand Slams, earned the World Number one title, and broke records on the tour.

“But now, for me to have a happy life without tennis, I am slowly trying to experience new feelings, see something else,” she said.

A few players on the WTA Tour have signed up for exhibition events in the USA, Germany, and the Czech Republic, but Simona Halep is yet to announce her participation in an exhibition tournament amidst the pandemic ambiance.