Simona Halep says she has “the fire back” after registering her first win with her new coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was on the brink of retirement after an injury-plagued 2021 and admits she was not sure if she would be able to get back to her best. She ended her long-time partnership with Darren Cahill last winter.
Earlier this month the former world number one decided to team up with Mouratoglou. It is the first time Mouratoglou has worked exclusively as a coach for a player on tour since working with Serena Williams for 10 years
The 30-year-old, currently ranked 21 in the world, beat China’s Zhang Shuai 6-2 6-3 in 58 minutes on Thursday.
The Romanian said she loves playing tennis again under the guidance of Mouratoglou.
“I used to be a little bit more negative in the past, I improved, but now it’s like, wow, even more,” Halep said of Mouratoglou.
“I can open up to him super easy, I can actually say everything I feel which is helping me because he knows how to take it and how to respond to my problems or my doubts.
“And he has helped me a lot with my doubts because before meeting him I had a lot of doubts that I cannot play at a high level again and probably I was thinking about stopping at one point.
“But now I’m starting to get it back, I have the fire back, and I love to be on court.”
Halep will play world No. 2 Paula Badosa in the second round after the Spaniard beat Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-0 in 64 minutes.
Speaking of their highly-anticipated showdown, Halep said: “I think it’s going to be interesting match, because it’s going to be quite a clay-court match, very tactical, and I’m really looking forward to that.
“Of course she’s a great champion. So maybe I’m the favourite or no, I will try to give my best, because for sure she will push me to the limits.”
Reigning Madrid Open champion Aryna Sabalenka surprisingly lost to USA’s Amanda Anisimova 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. The American now has a 4-0 head-to-head record against the Belarusian.
Tunisian eighth seed Ons Jabeur beat Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 7-6(9), 6-1 and will play Russian qualifier Varvara Gracheva next.
Former world number one Victoria Azarenka beat Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic 7-6(5), 6-3 and will play Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek in round two.
