Simona Halep returned to the tennis court after an absence of more than a year and a half (after the TAS significantly reduced her suspension from 4 years to 9 months) and gave an extensive interview with WTA Insider in which she talked about her experience in Miami and , what’s next for her career.

>> Simona Halep and the tournament she could compete in after the WTA Miami exit: “She’s the perfect guest”

Simona Halep: “I don’t want to get into an accident”

Simona Halep can enjoy tennis again after the TAS eased her ban stemming from the Roxadustat doping scandal at the 2022 US Open.

The Romanian participated in WTA Miami thanks to a wildcard received by the organizers, but was defeated in the first round by former WTA runner-up Paula Badosa.

Recently, Simona gave an interview to WTA Insider, in which she talked about the moment when she learned about the TAS verdict, and about her plans after returning to the tennis court.

WTA Insider: How did you manage your emotions in preparation for your comeback?

Aleppo: “I actually told my mom on the plane that I was really nervous because I didn’t know what to expect from people. When you’re having such a hard time, you don’t know how people will see you or how they’ll treat you. But on the first day it was incredible. Then the stress went away and I didn’t stress about it anymore. I knew it would be good on the pitch. The audience was incredible. So the affection I received is even more than anything I’ve felt so far.”

>> ITIA, another decision in a case similar to the case of Simona Halep – she avoided suspension

WTA Insider: Now that you’ve played a competitive match, what do you think you need to work on to get back to the level you’re used to?

Aleppo: “Honestly, I’m not very clear on what I did wrong today (without Tuesday) and what I did wrong. I know I missed a few balls that I shouldn’t have missed. But to be honest, I feel like I played some good tennis. So, first of all, I need a coach to guide me a little. I am looking forward to training with Carlos Martinez. We set a trial period. He worked with Svetlana [Kuzneţova], my friend and my favorite tennis player. I admire his work. Therefore, I hope that we understand each other well and achieve good results. But first I have to talk to him and he has to see me to tell me where I am because it’s hard to tell your level alone.”

>> Simona Halep on WTA Miami loss – What she says about reuniting with Patrick Muratoglu

WTA Insider: When you got the decision from TAS, what was your reaction?

Aleppo: “I was talking to my lawyers and smiling. I told them: “Guys, the decision is correct.” I was so happy. I was in tears after I finished talking to them. I was happy that the truth came out and that the decision was right. So 18 months of stress was over and now I could go play tennis. Because the hardest part was that I couldn’t go watch a tennis match. It was a disaster for the tennis player. Because I was disqualified, I couldn’t even watch a tennis match [la un turneu]. That’s why it was difficult”

WTA Insider: Are you not offended by the sport?

Aleppo: “No, I didn’t have that dark feeling. People supported me from the first day to the last. The fact that I saw that my opponents supported me and believed that I was clean gave me strength and a positive feeling to keep fighting. No, I didn’t have that. One person, a very important person to me, told me that I shouldn’t hate tennis because it wasn’t tennis that brought me this hard time. I thought about it and said yes, tennis is still my passion. I enjoy doing it and I will come back when I make the right decision”

>> Simona Halep’s reaction after an important rival said that athletes with a positive test should not receive a wild card

WTA Insider: Now what’s next?

Aleppo: “I do not know [râde]. It all happened so fast. To be honest, I thought I would go back to the clay to have time to catch my breath and calm down. But the positive feeling was so great and I had several people around me telling me I had to go to feel energized again. It was the right decision, the best decision to come to Miami, feel the energy, feel the love of the people and feel the freedom again.”

WTA Insider: How do you plan your comeback?

Aleppo: “I don’t have a plan. I want to play as much as possible to get my rhythm back. I’m old I’m not that young anymore and I need to do well in my comeback. I don’t want to get into an accident. Most people told me to worry because 18 months is a long time and I have to take it slow. So I have to talk to Carlos and we’ll decide together, probably.”

>> Coach Carlos Martinez talks for the first time about working with Simona Halep

WTA Insider: What are you most looking forward to right now?

Aleppo: “I just want to enjoy the pleasure that I have. She was incredible this week. Even if we lost in the first round, it doesn’t matter. Today it is not about tennis. It’s about my personal feelings, about how I feel as a person, and I feel great. So I want to keep that feeling and I want it to help me in future tours, because I know I’m really excited right now, but there will be times when I’ll be like, ‘Why am I here?’ So in some ways it will be difficult, but I want to make it easier by enjoying the game.”

Find out after the match between Simona Halep and Paula Badosa from WTA Miami

• Simona Halep will receive a check for $23,250 and 10 points in the world singles ranking (she ranks 1140th in the Live hierarchy) for being in the main draw of WTA Miami.

• Paula Badosa (80 WTA) will meet in the second round. Aryna Sabalenko (2 WTA), a player whose ex-boyfriend died aged just 42.

• This is Paula’s first victory over Simona. In the first meetings (both took place in 2022), the Romanian won: 6-3, 6-1 in Madrid and 6-1, 6-2 in Wimbledon.

• After Simona HalepAna Bohdan and Jacqueline Christian were eliminated in the first round, Romania has only one representative in Miami: Sorana Kirstia (second round – match with Sloane Stevens or Angelique Kerber).

• Simona Halep played her last official match on August 29, 2022. At the US Open, in the inaugural round, our athlete unexpectedly defeated Daria Snigur (at that time she was ranked 124th in the WTA qualification ranking).

• 18 months of nightmare followed for the former WTA leader – she was banned for 4 years for two separate violations of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP): the presence and use of the substance roxadustat in a urine sample collected after an anti-doping test. test conducted at the US Open 2022 (1) and irregularities in his biological passport (2). Halep appealed to the CAS, which reduced her sentence to 9 months.