Simona Halep finds the prospect of 14 days of quarantine forward of the Australian Open daunting however the world quantity two believes the expertise of taking part in at bio-secure tournaments final yr will assist her get by it.
The 29-year-old Wimbledon champion had an eventful 2020 season during which she ran up a 17-match successful streak, skipped the U.S. Open over well being fears however then contracted the coronavirus.
The begin of her 2021 marketing campaign will contain the lengthy journey to Australia in mid-January earlier than two weeks in quarantine forward of the beginning of the yr’s first Grand Slam on Feb. 8.
“I know that it will be hard mentally, but I feel like my experiences in bubbles in 2020 will help me know a little more what to expect,” Halep instructed Reuters, including she was grateful for the five-hour window to coach day-after-day throughout quarantine.
“I’m additionally much less pressured as a result of I do know that they’ve COVID so effectively underneath management in Australia and that when we’re out of quarantine, we can be free!
“This year in lockdown has meant that we are all a lot more used to spending time inside than we used to be.”
Keeping rating? It’s 30 days to go!#AusOpen 🔜 #AO2021 pic.twitter.com/Q6Fd6k2AB2
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 9, 2021
Halep’s final aggressive match was on the French Open in early October and she is going to hope to get some matches underneath her belt in a WTA 500 occasion at Melbourne Park to heat up for the hardcourt Grand Slam.
With the Asian swing, together with the season-ending WTA Finals, cancelled in 2020 as a result of pandemic, it was a protracted pre-season however Halep mentioned she had loved being at residence and let her physique and thoughts recuperate from a irritating yr.
“I worked a lot on my fitness,” Halep mentioned in an e mail interview. “I’ve to maintain my physique now greater than ever so numerous strengthening workout routines and velocity work, and from the start of December we actually stepped up the work on courtroom.
“Lots of drills and repetition and now finally I am playing sets against other Romanian girls, getting ready for the first matches in Australia.”
Halep had skipped the hardcourt swing within the United States as a consequence of issues over the pandemic and her worst fears have been realised when she contracted the virus in October.
“I didn’t get too sick with it thankfully but, of course, as a professional athlete, I was worried about my lungs so we did lots of tests and everything was great,” the 2018 French Open winner mentioned.
NEW CHALLENGE
Halep was not ready so as to add to her two Grand Slam successes in 2020 throughout which younger American Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek from Poland introduced themselves with their first main titles.
Halep did, nonetheless, win titles in Dubai, Prague, and Rome.
“I look back on my 2020 season with pride and a sense of achievement, especially given the circumstances with COVID-19,” mentioned Halep, who goals to play each singles and doubles on the Tokyo Olympics and win a medal.
“When the season shut down … it was unclear if we could play any tennis at all in 2020. That was tough mentally. It gave me some time to appreciate tennis, to be grateful when we were given the chance to play again.”
