Simona Halep became the most successful player in the history of the Madrid Open this weekend when she defeated Kristina Mladenovic, 7-5, 6-7, 6-2, to defend her title. In winning her first silverware of the 2017 season, Halep continued her fine form on the Spanish clay, where she has two titles and a runners-up trophy since 2014.
Here’s a little more on the Romanian, who continues to cement her status as one of the elite players in the game.
The Simona Halep File
Age: 25
Height: 5-6
Residence: Constanta, Romania
Current Rank: 4
Career-High Rank: 2 (August 2015)
Best US Open Finish: SF (2015)
The Baseline
- Halep has reached the quarterfinals or better in each of the four majors, highlighting the versatility and adaptability of her all-surface game. She contested the French Open final in 2014 and the semifinals of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Halep also reached back-to-back quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 2014 and 2015.
- She has won more singles matches at the US Open that at any other Grand Slam. In seven trips to Flushing Meadows, Halep has a 16-7 record, including a run to the fourth round or deeper in three of her past four appearances. She has not won more than 11 matches at any of the other three majors.
- The Romanian has 15 career tour singles titles to her name, with at least two every year between 2013 and 2016. Among the most notable victories are Madrid and Montreal (in 2016) and Dubai and Indian Wells (in 2015).
- Halep has 23 career wins over Top 10 players, including a pair of victories against Serena Williams (in the round-robin of the WTA Finals in 2014 and in the semifinals of Indian Wells in 2015), a victory over current No. 1 Angelique Kerber in the Montreal semifinals last summer and three wins over Agnieszka Radwanska. She also has wins over two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Australian Open and French Open winner Li Na, 2013 Wimbledon champ Marion Bartoli and former US Open finalists Jelena Jankovic and Caroline Wozniacki.
- The 25-year-old represented the Romanian Fed Cup team in 2010, 2012, and 2014-16. She also competed for her country at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
They Said It!
“I am very happy to have defended the title, it means a lot to me and gives me confidence for the next big tournaments.” – Halep to WTA.com after winning her second straight Madrid Open title
