“It Was Stressful”: Simona Halep Opens up on Getting Overnight Fame

After contracting coronavirus in October end, World No.2 Simona Halep announced that she has completely recovered. Despite the truncated tennis season, Halep won two titles at the Dubai Tennis Championships and Prague Open.  However, she suffered a humiliating loss at the hands of Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the French Open.

Recently, an Instagram account ‘Behind the Racquet‘, uploaded a post where Halep wrote about her tennis journey and the lessons from her experiences over the last few years. The Romanian talked about reaching the 2014 French Open Final as a big turning point in her career.

As Halep’s popularity soared overnight in her home country, people started recognizing her on the streets which resulted in huge public attention towards her.

The 29-year-old revealed that she found it hard adjusting to the limelight, and it became stressful after a while. However, Halep struck a balance by being open with her fans and simultaneously working hard on-court to focus on her career.

“I tried to enjoy the attention but it was stressful because it took a lot of energy. I did not want to lose focus on my career. I tried to find a balance. I was generous and open with fans but stayed focused on the hard work needed to earn results on court⁣,” said Halep.

“Never been scared of failure”: Simona Halep

After losing her first three Grand Slam finals, Halep won her first major championship at the 2018 Roland Garros. She subsequently claimed her second Grand Slam the following year at Wimbledon. Clinching the year-end No.1 twice in 2017 and 2018 helped Halep to learn to deal with the negative as well as positive aspects of pressure.

The 22-WTA titlist asserted that the most important virtue is hard work, and she tries not to base her tennis life solely on success. Halep revealed that she has never feared failure and feels regret doesn’t arise if one gives their hundred percent effort.

“I want to win matches and tournaments but I have learned you do not have to put success first. The most important thing is hard work. If you give one hundred percent, you have no cause for regret. I have never been scared of failure,” wrote Halep.

Halep’s determination and perseverance has made her into a staunch champion. With the WTA season already over, she will prepare for the 2021 Australian Open and aim to win her first title at Melbourne.