Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 12 June 2018
HALEP more questions from others I will see."
Continued from Page 17 about whether the 26-year- And then, without even
"Now that I was able to old Romanian deserves to pausing, Halep added: "But
win, it makes it special, and be atop the rankings with- I will not stop this. I will go
makes it, like, everything to- out a major trophy to go forward and I will get extra
gether. It's real now." alongside that feat. motivation with something
Sure is. And no more questions else, for sure."
"She showed a lot of matu- about whether she would Halep does not want to be
rity. She's grown up a lot in ever manage to become a one-Slam wonder.
the last 12 months. Some- a Grand Slam champ, fol- Nor should she be consid-
times the losses do make lowing two losses in finals ered a candidate for that
you mature really quickly. at the French Open in 2014 kind of career.
You can go one way with and 2017, plus another at She has a rare combination
your career, and go down- the Australian Open this of speed, power and stam-
wards, or you can suck it January. ina that makes her danger-
up, work a little bit harder "She's had a tough journey. ous on every surface.
and try to do it again," I think winning here is very There's a reason Halep has
said Halep's coach, Darren special for her, and I'm glad made it to the final at Ro-
Cahill. "That's the way she she finally got her first Slam. land Garros and the Aus-
went." It's a beautiful thing. Very tralian Open, and the semi-
It was Cahill who encour- special," said Stephens, a finals at the U.S. Open and
aged Halep to embrace 25-year-old American who Wimbledon, where play
the goal, to go ahead and won the U.S. Open last Sep- begins July 2.
be forthright — with herself tember. "No matter how Inevitably, the topic of the
and everyone else — about hard the adversity that you All England Club and its
yearning for something she go through, there is always grass courts was raised at
had come close to but had Romania's Simona Halep celebrates wining the final match of light at the end of the tun- Halep's post-match news
yet to achieve. the French Open tennis tournament against Sloane Stephens of nel, and I'm glad she finally conference. "Oh, don't ask
the U.S. in three sets 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, at the Roland Garros stadium
"The Slam is what they play in Paris, France, Saturday, June 9, 2018. got her light." me that, because I'm go-
for. Last year, we spoke Associated Press So with that accomplished, ing to have a big holiday
about this: When she talks Halep was asked, what be- now," she joked. "Nothing
about it, not to avoid it. Not Not trying to take the pres- pressure. Now she can re- comes the new goal? changes, obviously. I'm a
to avoid the fact that, 'Yes, sure off her too much," he lax, go out there, let her "I didn't think about it," she Grand Slam champion, but
I want to win a major, and said. "And she was able to game go." began, with a chuckle. "I tomorrow is a new day, so I
this is what I'm pushing for.' step up and handle that Now there can be no will enjoy this moment and have to start again."q