WATCH: ‘I can leave if you want!’ – Halep enjoys hilarious moment with coach in Wimbledon press conference
Simona Halep cracked up on Sunday when her coach Patrick Mouratoglou made a brilliant comment to diffuse the tension of quite a serious question.
In her second round match at Roland Garros last month, the former world number one suffered a panic attack on court before losing to Chinese teenager Qinwen Zheng.
After that match, Mouratoglou took the moment and the loss on his shoulders in an Instagram post saying he “expected better of himself” and “wasn’t doing a good enough job.”
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Halep was asked about that statement ahead of Wimbledon this week.
A slightly tense moment then turned far more light-hearted when Mouratoglou piped up from the back of the press conference room.
“I can leave the room if you want!” He exclaimed before promptly leaving so Halep could answer the question honestly without his gaze.
Halep was then left falling back in her chair laughing before addressing the question posed.
She said: “I would not say that he was not good enough like he wrote in the post.
“But I was surprised, shocked that he did that post and he took everything on him.
“But it was not on him. It was me, that I was not able to do better and to actually calm down myself when I panicked.
“It was new for me as well and I was not good enough.”
No doubt both Halep and Mouratoglou will be hoping that the familiarity of Wimbledon will be able to kickstart a run of form from the two-time Major champion.
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