Simona Halep has been welcomed back by the tennis community in the 2024 season after being banned for alleged doping. While she has not made a resounding comeback yet, Halep is still passionate about the sport as well as helping some of her colleagues on the WTA Tour. A video of the Romanian star has gone viral from Dubai ahead of the WTA Finals 2024.
In the video, Halep was seen practicing with good friend Elena Rybakina with intense rallies and shotmaking. Halep was in good touch, and that bodes well for Rybakina, who is set to play at the year-ending event in Saudi Arabia. Rybakina needed the practice badly, and she got a good session, in which she seemed more confident.
Chris Evert, the American tennis legend, took to X to react to the video and felt that both of them being there is great for the sport.
Great these two are back https://t.co/n0Wc4ScKKa
— Chris Evert (@ChrissieEvert) October 26, 2024
When it comes to the WTA Finals, Halep has made it once to the championship match, losing to Serena Williams in 2014. She knows what it feels like to play in the tournament.
Halep has been a former World No.1 and coached by arguably one of the best minds in the business, Patrick Mouratoglou. So any advice from her to even a superstar like Rybakina is something the latter would appreciate.
It also speaks volumes of Halep’s security as a player and person. Don’t be surprised if Rybakina gives a shoutout to Halep if she makes it to the final or wins the title.
Halep could help Rybakina end a harsh 2024 season in style
Rybakina has endured a difficult 2024 season in which she has suffered from many health and fitness issues. In August 2024, she announced that she had let go of Stefano Vukov, her long-time coach. Although it was later revealed that Vukov was responsible for mentally agitating Rybakina and that affected her game adversely.
At the moment, Rybakina is ranked 5th in the world and this drop in ranking from the start of the season, could play a huge role in her matchups in the WTA Finals 2024.
Aryna Sabalenka is a hard-court legend already and in top form, making her the favorite to lift the trophy. When it comes to Rybakina’s other big rivals, Coco Gauff recently won the WTA 500 China Open. While Iga Swiatek is set to pose a big challenge for the title again. So the odds are against Rybakina and it would take a brave person to bet on her winning the championship.
Lovro Zovko is her temporary coach at present, so it isn’t easy for Rybakina to make this sort of transition quickly. As a result, Halep could well have done Rybakina a huge favor with such a hitout. Irrespective of the outcome of the WTA Finals, Rybakina would always be grateful for such a gesture, which is not often seen in the competitive world of tennis.
