‘Preferred a Worker to a Talented One’ – Ion Tiriac Opens Up on the Possibility of Coaching Simona Halep

It has been a topsy-turvy season so far for Simona Halep. The Romanian began the 2022 season brightly, winning the Melbourne Summer Set 1 title. However, in the Australian Open, she suffered a shock defeat to Alize Cornet of France in the fourth round.

Subsequently, Halep announced a split with Daniel Dobre and Adrian Marcu who were a part of her coaching team. They had joined her team only in September last year after she ended a successful six-year partnership with Darren Cahill.

Recently, Ion Tiriac, who was a former top 10 singles player on the ATP tour and currently is the president of the Romanian Tennis Federation, opened up on Halep’s situation after she is on the lookout for coaches.

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Ion Tiriac’s viewpoint on the possibility of coaching Simona Halep

The former French Open men’s doubles champion believes that Halep would not have the same results if he were to be her coach. Further, he said, “In my opinion, I, as a coach, would not have done the job with Simona Halep. I preferred a worker to a talented one. She is very worker, limited to the physique she built at the age of 14-15-16.”

Moreover, he added, “Simona Halep is stronger in the head than in the legs, but she also has this good and bad character, which at some point makes her return completely. I’m not saying [s]he needs a coach, [s]he needs a coach who [s]he respects more than [s]he respects [her]self if [s]he looks in the mirror.”

Further, he went on to say, “If not here’s a new product just for you! If you don’t have the confidence and the discernment to do exactly what the coach says, then you don’t get a coach! Simona, be careful, she has a very, very strong personality! I have never seen a coach to be dominated by Simona Halep (…). I didn’t see a ball in the match that lost it, but mathematically you can’t win the set 6-2 and then lose. Something is happening with her concentration.” (Translated using Google Translate)

Halep trains at Patrick Mouratoglou’s academy in France

After she decided to split with her coaching staff post the Australian Open disappointment, Halep trained at Serena Williams‘ coach’s academy in France. She was accompanied by a French sparring partner from this academy at tournaments in Dubai and Qatar.

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However, she had a forgettable run in those tournaments. Halep lost in the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Further, in the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, she suffered a shock defeat against wildcard Caroline Garcia.

Halep would be eager to make amends in the ‘Sunshine Double’ coming this month. Can she overcome a slump in her form? Let us know your views in the comments below.