‘She must be let loose!’ – Slam icon supports Simona Halep’s decision to fly solo
Ilie Nastase has backed Simona Halep in her decision to compete on the WTA Tour without a coach as “she knows what she is doing.”
After reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open and storming to the Melbourne Summer Set title, her first ever title win Down Under, Halep decided to part ways with coaches Adrian Marcu and Daniel Dobre.
Both Marcu and Dobre were rehired after Halep split with long-term coach of six years Darren Cahill for the second time.
Under Cahill’s guidance, Halep won her first Grand Slam title at the 2018 French Open, reached the World number one position and reached a further three Slam finals.
Meanwhile, Dobre led Halep to her second Grand Slam title when she won the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
When announcing her decision to play without a coach, Halep has previously said “all the advice that Darren Cahill gave me during our six years together, I will put into practice in this new stage, in which I feel very relaxed, without pressure.
“Now I want to discover things by myself, develop myself as a person.”
The Romanian number one endured a difficult season last year as she suffered a spate of injuries. She first suffered a shoulder injury at the Miami Open, before she then tore a calf muscle at the Italian Open and strained an adductor muscle at the Cincinnati Masters.
In an interview with Eurosport Romania, two-time Slam victor Nastase said “if she decided to play without a coach, she must be let go! If she doesn’t want a coach, she shouldn’t have a coach!
“Before the game, a coach might tell her a lot, but during the game, she decides. She has to find the solutions on the field. She has to be rested and play, because she knows what she’s doing.
Former World number one Halep will play the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Open, a WTA 1000 event. The Dubai tournament begins on the 14th February whilst the Qatar Open in Doha starts on the 20th.
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