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Simona Halep said in her post-final press conference “I was dreaming for this moment since actually, I started to play tennis, it’s my favourite Grand Slam and I always said that if I am gonna win one I want to be here, so it’s real now.”
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After three Grand Slam singles runners-up trophies, including the 2014 and 2017 French Open final, Halep finally tasted success at the Grand Slam level. To win in Paris meant so much more to her than if she had won the Australian Open earlier this year.
10 years ago Halep was the junior French Open winner. “When I won juniors, I said that if I will win a Grand Slam in professional tennis, I want it to be the same one. It’s special, and I keep it forever in my heart, for sure. It’s my favorite city, actually, romantic city,” she said.
Halep looked to be on track to win her first Grand Slam at the 2107 tournament when leading little known Latvian Jelena Ostapenko by a set and a break. In 2018 she found herself down by that margin before lifting her play to power to a 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Sloane Stephens the 2017 US Open champion.
From the start of the match Halep was putting in the effort required to win, she was, however, making some unforced errors which saw Sloane take the first set. As the match wore on it was Halep who was started to pile on the pressure and Stephens was starting to miss shots.
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By the third set, Halep, the current world no. 1 was well on top and she powered to her maiden Grand Slam title, just as Caroline Wozniacki had done at the Australian Open earlier this year.
After dismantling the game of Garbine Muguruza in the semifinals, Halep had confirmed her spot at the top of women’s tennis, but without a Grand Slam title, it would not feel as sweet.
A childhood dream now has become reality for Halep.
