Simona Halep – 2018 WTA Player of the Year, says is sad cannot play in Singapore

Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, 1^st WTA, has been named the WTA Player of the Year on Friday, in a ceremony held in Singapore.

Past tribulations would only make redemption taste sweeter for Simona Halep in 2018. The Romanian’s career arc was undoubtedly one of the year’s most inspirational when, in her fourth major final, she finally got over the line to become a Grand Slam champion for the first time at Roland Garros, wtatennis.com informs.

Halep received an award from the WTA, after an inquiry to which more than 100 journalists worldwide took place, counting also the votes from the fans.

Simona Halep: It means enormously to me

“It was, without doubt, a great year, the best year of my career. I want to thank all those who voted for me. It is a wonderful award, very important and I am happy I’ve won it. It means enormously to me that I have qualified five times here (the WTA Finals in Singapore – our note)”, she said on Friday.

“I have special memories from Singapore, it is a special city. Although I am sad I cannot play this year, I am very happy I am on the stage again,” she added, according to ziare.com.

Concluding her speech, she addressed the introducer: “I am very sad I cannot play, I want another hug,” making the audience to applaud and laugh.

“From whom?” asked the introducer.

“From you,” she replied.

After hugging her, he said he is the luckiest man in the world: “Now I can throw away the microphone and fly back to Los Angeles.”

WTA reasoning

Halep’s journey there had been a long, winding and often arduous one. In 2014, when she narrowly the French Open crown to Maria Sharapova, Halep’s ability to rise to the occasion in her very first major final seemed to indicate that she was herself on the verge of lifting one of the most important trophies in the sport. But despite embedding herself as a permanent fixture in the Top 5, it would be another three years before Halep would return to a Grand Slam title round – and once there, she would fall to 20-year-old Jelena Ostapenko in three sets.

The World No.1 ranking would follow last October, as did another major final loss to Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open. But the battling manner of Halep’s run in Melbourne seemed to indicate that a corner had been turned – and sure enough, glory would come in style, appropriately enough in Paris once again. Halep would defeat three consecutive major champions – Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza and Sloane Stephens – and come from a set down three times in a title run characterized by fighting spirit, strategic changes to turn matches around and, ultimately, an ability to play her own best tennis when it mattered most.

Roland Garros was one of three titles Halep would capture in 2018, along with Shenzhen and Montréal – beating Stephens once again in another classic final to take the latter trophy. Only five-time titlist Petra Kvitova has won more, and no other Slam champion this year has played more than one major final. Although a herniated disk in Halep’s back has ended her season early, forcing her withdrawal from the WTA Finals, the 27-year-old still ends the year with a 46-11 win-loss record and a commanding lead as the Year-End World No.1.

Halep is also the recipient of the Special Achievement award as the only player who has qualified for the WTA Finals in Singapore in each of its five editions, wtatennis.com informs.

file photo: after winning Roland Garros