Tennis News

WTA Insider Senior Writer Courtney Nguyen checks in from the Foro Italico in Rome where the Internazionali BNL d’Italia is already underway. She recaps the the weekend in Madrid, where Simona Halep capped off a big week for Romanian tennis by winning her first title of the season. Hear from Halep as she discusses her surprising week and how it all came together in the Champion’s Corner.

You’ll also hear from 30-year-old Czech veteran Barbora Strycova. The World No.38 joins the podcast to discuss her career, which was nearly ended by a failed drug test in 2012. After serving a six-moth ban for negligently ingesting a banned substance, Strycova came one match away from ending her career. It’s a good thing she didn’t.

Strycova candidly opens up about her ban — the lowest moment of her career — as well as her redemptive run to the 2014 Wimbledon quarterfinals. Self-aware, honest, and funny, it’s a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Halep on being reluctant to handicap her chances at the start of the week: It’s amazing that I could win this tournament. I feel that I had everything in my hands, every match. I felt that I played my best tennis in every match and kind of deserving the title because I won it. I didn’t receive presents during the matches. Day by day I believed more that I had a chance to win it.

At the beginning of the tournament it’s normal to feel that you hesitate a little bit because it’s just the start and you don’t know actually what’s going to happen in the first round because the first round is always the toughest in the tournament. And after my months before coming here, it was tough to believe I could win it.

Halep on the rise of her fellow Romanians: I didn’t read anything since a long time ago and I’m not going to start to read again. I heard a tough story about my joke about “the Easter present” about the second set [bagel against Irina-Camelia Begu]. They make everything negative so I’m not going to read.

But in my opinion it’s a big thing that many Romanians are playing in the last matches here in this tournament – also men’s doubles – so it’s a good point point for our country and maybe it will help our juniors.

Strycova on picking tennis over figure skating: At age 12, I had to decide if I wanted to stick with figure skating, because I was pretty good at it, or tennis. I chose tennis because it was my choice, and nobody was pushing it. I was last on the ice a year ago; I can do some small jumps but you have to be careful because you can fall down and break a leg! I love that sport, and I still like to listen to my favorite music and be on the ice, doing what I used to do when I was young. It’s really relaxing.

Strycova on whether her on-court intensity dates back to her childhood: Oh my god, so much! You would see such a crazy Bara, you would not believel I am so emotional. I’m intense. I love to win and hate to lose. Back then, I was crabby. On one side, I was very positive, but also very negative. I’d throw racquets, screaming, crying. My whole career, I’ve been fighting to be positive and calmer. But I need that sometimes, I just need to know how to deal with it, and make sure it’s not hurting you.

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MADRID, Spain – Simona Halep capped off a tremendous week for Romanian tennis by winning her first title of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open, beating Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday’s final. The win was Halep’s first title since the BNP Paribas Open last year and it moves her back in the Top 5. She also rose 23 places to No.6 in the Road to Singapore.

In short, Simona Halep is back in the conversation. With the French Open around the corner, the 2014 finalist is relieved to finally be playing some of her best tennis.

WTA Insider sat down with Halep after her Madrid win.

Q: I sat down with you before the tournament and you were very hesitant to talk about your chances this week.
A: Yeah it’s amazing that I could win this tournament. I feel that I had everything in my hands, every match. I felt that I played my best tennis in every match and kind of deserving the title because I won it. I didn’t receive presents during the matches. Day by day I believed more that I had a chance to win it.

At the beginning of the tournament it’s normal to feel that you hesitate a little bit because it’s just the start and you don’t know actually what’s going to happen in the first round because the first round is always the toughest in the tournament. And after my months before coming here, it was tough to believe I could win it.

Caption this… pic.twitter.com/MeJo5zW5QP

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) April 29, 2016

Q: You said throughout the week that you were under the radar, people didn’t care about you anymore, your ranking was slipping. Then you put together a run with all the scorelines very much on your side.
A: That’s why I say I feel like I won the tournament. I played amazing tennis every day and day-by-day I played better tennis. In the final I played very well, she played as well good tennis. It wasn’t easy, but it looked like it was easy.

Q: You made it look easy.
A: I made it easy. Now I don’t feel tired so that means I was relaxed. I was just with my mind to play tennis, not about the result or something else. Just enjoying and just showing what I have practiced.

Q: Before the tournament you said your only goal this week was to get matches, that it was not about the trophy. Did that mentality change at some point this week?
A: No. It was permanent in my mind, in my heart, in my hands, in my body. I felt that I just want to go on court to win the match. Nothing else. Today actually was different because I played for the trophy. I had emotions before but I knew how to manage them. I had the experience playing here the finals. That final in 2014 made today easier.

Q: What do you mean? How did that final against Maria Sharapova prepare you for today?
A: I felt that I can lose it, because I lost it once. Nothing happened after.

Q: The sun came up? The world kept going?
A: Yeah. Now I said I have to be different from that day. That day I couldn’t be relaxed because I was with a lot of pressure that I have to win it. Now I said that the match is open and I have just to go and play my best, which I did. I think I did it pretty well and I did it pretty relaxed.

Q: The word “relaxed” comes up often with you. You play your best tennis when you’re relaxed. Have you discovered the key to keeping yourself relaxed?
A: No, it’s not about the key. It’s about how I see things. I was not thinking about the result at all. Even if I played the final today I didn’t care if I win or lose. I just wanted to go on court and win the match, specifically the match, not the fact that it was a final.

Q: Not the title.
A: Just the match.

Where's Waldo? A rowdy thank you with @MutuaMadridOpen volunteers. pic.twitter.com/UcgJM5mJ1i

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 7, 2016

Q: You and coach Darren Cahill arrived in Madrid fairly early. That’s not always a luxury before big tournaments. Lots of times tournaments are back-to-back and you’re arriving late. I’m thinking of Indian Wells to Miami, or going from Fed Cup to Stuttgart. How did that impact your week?
A: We arrived on Tuesday. I had many days training with Darren. I wanted that. I asked him actually when he made the schedule in January that I wanted this week to prepare with him here in Madrid. So I knew what I want to do.

It’s much better to come a few days earlier. You feel the courts, you feel the atmosphere of the tournament, and you feel like you are into it already when the tournament starts. It made the things easier. It made me feel like I was already here from a long time ago. So that’s why I felt very well straight away in the first match.

Q: You’ve now won Indian Wells and Madrid, your two biggest titles. Both tournaments are known for having difficult conditions, where the ball can fly. Do you see a connection there or are those just two tournaments you happened to win.
A: I don’t know.

Q: Do you like those conditions?
A: I do. I like it.

Q: A lot of people have problems controlling the ball.
A: No, doesn’t bother me. I like these conditions. I felt well. Everything went well.

Q: How aware are you of how big of a story this week was back home in Romania, with you winning the title and three other women – Irina-Camelia Begu, Sorana Cirstea, and Patricia Maria Tig – making the quarterfinals?
A: I don’t know, I didn’t read anything since a long time ago and I’m not going to start to read again. I heard a tough story about my joke about “the Easter present” about the second set [bagel against Begu]. They make everything negative so I’m not going to read.

But in my opinion it’s a big thing that many Romanians are playing in the last matches here in this tournament – also men’s doubles – so it’s a good point point for our country and maybe it will help our juniors.

Q: How do you plan to celebrate?
A: I don’t know. I have no idea.

Halep hands out beers to the press corp. Joked yesterday she'd buy everyone a round in honor of 4 Romanians in QF. pic.twitter.com/MQobAzoxkp

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 6, 2016

Q: Are you going to take back one of those beers you gave us?
A: I don’t like beer. Maybe I will drink something else but I don’t know what [laughs]. First I need to calm down a little bit because I’m really excited and then maybe we’ll go into the city somewhere to celebrate.

Q: Much deserved. Congratulations. See you in Rome.
A: See you in Rome!

Listen to more of Halep’s thoughts in the latest episode of the WTA Insider Podcast: