The Baseline Player of the Week: Simona Halep

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

If you would have said a couple of months ago that Simona Halep would become one of the leading favorites to capture this year’s Roland Garros crown, most people probably would have laughed.

The Romanian had an underwhelming start to the year, losing in the first round of the Australian Open before faltering during her second match at both St. Petersburg and Indian Wells. But perhaps her toughest point came in Miami, when Halep blew a set and a break lead in the final against Johanna Konta. The 25-year-old was so close to earning a confidence-boosting result, but she lost the match and it nearly cost her a coach, Darren Cahill.

“It wasn’t because I lost,” Halep told*WTA Insider* on Saturday. “But because of my attitude and him feeling like I gave up.”

Halep did not give up in the Madrid final, overcoming a frustratingly rocky second set against an on-fire opponent in Kristina Mladenovic to defend her crown, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2.

“Today, I showed it’s a new Simo,” Halep said. “I don’t give up anymore, even if I lose a close second set.”

After finding a way past 2015 US Open finalist Roberta Vinci in a third-set tiebreak in the second round and squeaking by 16th-seeded Samantha Stosur in her third match, the No. 3-seeded Halep appeared to have finally found her game, cruising her way through the quarterfinals and semifinals before earning a set and a break lead against France’s highest-ranked player.

But Mladenovic, much like Konta in Miami, kept fighting, using her forehand to hang with the Romanian. She forced a third set in dramatic fashion.

The 24-year-old Frenchwoman could not sustain the momentum, though, as Halep was just too quick and solid—Mladenovic even joked about her being able to sign up for a marathon after the match.

“Honestly this final was quite amazing,” Mladenovic said. “I can just be proud out there from both of us what we showed. I think it was a great final. Great spirit, attitude, great game. Got to give credit to Simona for an amazing game today.”

All of a sudden, a season that started on a bad turn is back on an upward trajectory, set to peak at the French Open, where Halep will look to do one better than her finalist showing in 2014.

“I started pretty bad this year,” Halep said. “Now I'm back with the confidence.”

Just in time.