Simona Halep, a 27-year-old professional women’s tennis player from Romania, is no stranger to winning on the court: She’s been ranked number one in singles twice, and won her first Grand Slam in 2018.
Known for her “mighty personality,” strong work ethic, and stellar defense, Halep’s professional success is a no brainer—and her star is only rising. As she prepares to challenge Serena Williams in the Wimbledon women's singles final, here are five things to know about her.
1. Her dedication to tennis started when she was just 4 years old.
Halep first took to the tennis court as a little kid, and she’s never looked back. Her father called her his “Little Rolex” because she was so determined to win big. She left her small town in Romania when she was only 16 and moved to Bucharest, the country’s capital, to continue to work on her game. Her dedication never wavered: While others partied, Halep practiced. And she has the career to show for it.
2. She’s only beaten Serena Williams once.
Halep and Williams have played each other 10 times, and Halep has only won once. These statistics probably put her at a disadvantage—and she has endured quite a few other painful losses—but according to Sports Illustrated, Halep could put up an impressive fight. “Halep’s exceptional defense can put pressure on Williams and force her into mistakes,” said writer Stanley Kay.
3. She’s put a lot of work into building up mental strength—and it shows.
Both for personal reasons and for her game, Halep has put quite a bit of work into her emotional stamina. Her psychologist Alexis Castorri has expressed openly that she’s in awe of her mental strength, which Halep has opened up about as well. "I will believe that I have my chance to win against [Williams],” Halep told the BCC recently. "Of course, I respect a lot what she has done and what she's doing, but now I feel stronger mentally facing her.”
4. She had a breast reduction to improve her game.
When Halep realized her large breasts were negatively impacting her game due to back pain, she underwent breast reduction surgery in 2009, when she was only 17. In 2018, she told Sports Illustrated that she considers it the biggest sacrifice she made for her career. “When I did it, I did it for tennis. Maybe doing that was really important to today be No. 1,” she said. But in terms of sacrifices she made in the name of tennis, that’s where it ends. “You know, I don't feel that I made sacrifices by being here or playing tennis because I really like this sport, and it’s never tough to go and practice,” she added.
5. She self-identifies as introverted, which hasn’t always made things easy.
Halep is the first to admit that she can be a little, well, shy—and that hasn’t exactly been an advantage for her on the tennis court. “Sometimes I was crying that I don’t want to go on the court because I was too shy,” she told The Guardian. “I was very introverted. I am still an introvert … I am open now. I improved a lot and I can be more natural.”
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Leigh is a freelance writer and in her near-decade in the media industry, she's worked as an editor at The Huffington Post, Elite Daily, and Mindbodygreen. Somewhere in between, she also became a certified yoga instructor and wrote a book about smoothie bowls.
