On the eve of Wimbledon, Simona Halep was asked if it bothered her that she not been chosen to open play on Centre Court on the first Tuesday, the slot traditionally reserved for the defending champion. Halep, the title winner three years ago, has twice missed out on the honour, first when the pandemic struck and then because of the lingering calf injury that forced her to miss Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympics last summer. Surely, following the retirement of reigning champion Ashleigh Barty, it would have been the perfect opportunity to make amends? “Probably in this life I can have another chance,” said Halep with a quiet smile.
The Romanian obviously knew something we didn’t. Back on Centre Court for the first time since her career-defining victory over Serena Williams in 2019, she played like a woman eager to make up for lost time, dismissing Paula Badosa, the fourth seed, 6-1, 6-2 in exactly an hour. In every sense, her timing was perfect. Halep, who defeated the Spaniard by a similar scoreline two months ago in Madrid, struck 17 winners. Her returning, movement and ability to absorb Badosa’s power were extraordinary. It was all very reminiscent of her famous victory over Williams, a success that she is being backed to repeat by the oddsmakers, who have installed her as the title favourite.
Their confidence does not look misplaced. Halep, seeded 16th seed and through to the quarter-finals for the fifth time, is now the only grand slam champion left in the draw. She has yet to drop a set and will next face another powerful baseliner in the shape of Amanda Anisimova, the 20th seed. The American ended the impressive run of Harmony Tan, the 115th-ranked Frenchwoman who defeated Serena Williams in the opening round, 6-2, 6-3. Halep will approach the meeting with confidence, however, having demolished Anisimova for the loss of just three games when they met 12 days ago in the Bad Homburg quarter-finals. The outlook could not be brighter for the former world No 1.
Six months ago, Halep could barely have imagined herself in such a position. Lacking confidence and momentum following her calf injury, she had fallen out of love with the game. A fourth-round exit to Alizé Cornet at the Australian Open did nothing to alter that feeling. At the age of 30, having slipped out of the top 10 for the first time in seven years as a result of her prolonged inactivity, she was contemplating retirement.
In April, however, Halep began working with Patrick Mouratoglou, the French coach who guided Williams to 10 of her 23 grand slam titles. The effect has been transformative, with Halep’s tally of 30 wins this season eclipsed only by Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur, the top two players in the world.
“I think the work is really important to be able to play well,” said Halep. “I worked really hard in the past two, three months. I’m really happy with all that I’ve done and that’s why I’m starting to play better and better.
“It means a lot that I’m back in quarter-finals after I struggled so much with injury and self-confidence. But, as I said, I’m working hard every day, and I feel like if I do that I will get better. I’m really happy with the way I’m playing, I’m really confident, and it’s a pleasure to be on court… Everything comes together.”
On a forgettable day for French tennis, Cornet followed Tan out of the tournament, Ajla Tomljanovic prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 against the world No 37 in a contest notable for its lung-busting baseline exchanges.
“Her level was really high from the get-go,” said Tomljanovic after reaching the last eight for the second year in a row. “I think the second point of the first game was so long that I kind of thought to myself, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know if I’m going to physically be able to keep up with her.’ But I found a way.
“It felt like a coin toss a little bit. I mean, she fights till the end. She wasn’t giving me much.”
Tomljanovic will face Kazakhstan’s Elena Riybakina, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Petra Martic, for a place in the semi-finals.