Simona Halep admits she didn't do the best job of handling her emotions throughout her career as the former world No. 1 reveals she often dealt with "stomach pain" that was directly caused by the stress she was feeling.
Halep, who was just 15 when she made her pro debut by taking part in two Futures tournaments in Romania in 2006, ended up lasting 19 years in pro tennis.
In 2013, Halep enjoyed a breakout season after landing six titles that year and shortly after established herself as one of the best players in the game and a legitimate contender for Grand Slams. While the Romanian lost her first three Grand Slam finals, she finally got over the edge at the 2018 French Open and also won Wimbledon the following year. Before becoming a Slam champion, she reached the world No. 1 spot for the first time in 2017.
In the end, Halep accomplished the two most important things in tennis – won a Grand Slam and reached the top spot. But getting there was all but easy for the 34-year-old.
Halep on life after retiring from tennis: Less stomach pain
“Less stomach pain before the matches because they killed me. And being so emotional affected me on court as well, but it's part of me and I had to accept it," the former 24-time WTA champion told The National.
Halep was limited to just four tournaments in her comeback season last year. This year, the former world No. 1 played only one match in front of her home fans in Cluj-Napoca before announcing that she was putting an end to her career due to a knee injury. Now, the Romanian tennis legend admits she misses tennis but also highlights she enjoys living a more stress-free life.
“I miss [tennis] a little bit and I had goosebumps when I entered the centre court, remembering everything that I was playing. But it's good also without the stress of playing matches," Halep admitted.
