The win also marked Halep’s return to the top 10 as she won her 24th career title. Halep rose nine spots to No. 6.
Mouratoglou penned a lengthy message on Instagram showering praise on Halep. He said the Romanian was an “incredible competitor all week” and that it was an “honor” to be by her side.
Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams prior to teaming up with Halep last April, also noted how their first title together was “a big one” given 18 of the top 20 players were in the draw.
On her road to the title – her first at the WTA 1000 level since winning in Rome two years ago – Halep beat Donna Vekic, Zhang Shuai, Jil Teichmann, 10th seed Coco Gauff, seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula and Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Mouratoglou also lauded Halep’s rise in the rankings after being out of the top 10 for over a year.
Halep’s new coach also expressed appreciation for the “incredible Romanian crowd” who supported Halep throughout the week.
“When I started the year, I was not very confident and I set the goal to be, at the end of the year, Top 10; And here I am” - Simona Halep
Simona Halep came close to bidding farewell to tennis after sustaining a calf injury last year. But the former World No. 1 – a spot she held for 64 weeks – is back where she belongs.
As she picked up her third title at the Canadian Open, Halep secured her 374th week in the top 10. Prior to this, the two-time Grand Slam winner spent 373 consecutive weeks in the top 10 from January 27, 2014 to August 9, 2021. It is the eighth-longest top-10 streak in WTA rankings history.
0 votes
