Former world No. 1 Simona Halep feels Patrick Mouratoglou is the right person to be coaching her as she noted that she can’t be compared to Serena Williams and that Mouratoglou will take a different approach with her.
Earlier this month, Halep announced Mouratoglou as her new full-time coach.
In his statement, Mouratoglou said Williams gave him the green light to start working with Halep.
“I feel like I can relate to him, and he has enough power to lead me and I needed a person that can lead me,” Halep said, per the WTA website.
“Nobody can compare with Serena, so I’m not going to do that now. He knows I’m a different person, I have a different style of playing, a different structure of the person. And we don’t really talk about that. We just focus on ourselves, how we have with what we have to do to become the best version of myself.”
Halep contemplated retirement
Last year, Halep sustained a calf injury, which forced her to skip the French Open, Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics.
Halep found herself in a dark place and she feared she would never again be able to return to her old level.
The dark period is past Halep as she is now determined to add more Grand Slam success to her name.
“The injury last year made me feel that with stopping for four months, I cannot get the rhythm back,” Halep said. “I’m 30, so I thought always at 30 it will be tough. I had this in my mind, I don’t know why. Losing some matches, getting injured again was not easy. Also in Australia, also in Indian Wells.
“So I was doubting myself that my body can still hold for the highest level in tennis. So yeah, probably I was super close to stopping. I didn’t have that energy and that confidence that I can still be on tour and at the highest level.”