Erasmus Plus- Campaigns.Connect Past and Future 2020-2023

1. SIMONA HALEP
PREZENTARE DE: DRAGNEA VALENTINA SI MARACINEANU DAVID

2. From the shores of the Black Sea in
Constanta to the biggest cities in the
world, Simona has followed an incredible
path in her career. Years of intensive
training and dedication have shaped her
into one of the greatest tennis players in
the world and, with her recent historic
victory in the Wimbledon final over
Serena Williams, she now stands as a two-
time Grand Slam champion.
.

3. Simona began playing tennis when she
was 4 years old, being trained by her
older brother and at the age of six she
was already practicing every day.
She moved to Bucharest when she was 16
years old to continue her tennis career
with Justine Henin and Andrei Pavel as
role models.

4. The first significant victory came in 2008 with a junior
semi-final at the Australian Open and in May 2008,
she won two junior tournaments: ITF 10,000 in
Bucharest and the Trofeo Bonfiglio tournament. Four
months before turning 18, Simona climbed to the
highest level in the Junior world rankings with the
Roland Garros junior title.
“I’m maturing, I’m no longer a child. I’m 27 years old
and I’ve been through a lot in all these years. I feel
ready for life. My trust in myself increased, so I started
to be different. We all change with the passing of
years. I cannot stay the same as a few years ago,
especially since I am very eager to learn. I always knew
what I intended, I knew what I wanted to do with my
life, but I had a few issues regarding the
communication side. Now it’s easier for me and I’m
trying to be even better. In the end, the meaning of life
is to see how good you can be in all chapters.“ is what
she said after this first significant win.

5. 1ST GRAND SLAM
At the third time of asking in Paris,
Simona finally added a Grand Slam
trophy to her cabinet. “I want to thank
you all. It was awesome. In the last game
I felt I could not breathe. I did everything
I could. It’s amazing. I’ve dreamed of this
moment since I started playing tennis. I’m
very happy that it happened at Roland
Garros. Paris is a special city for me.”

6. 2ND GRAND SLAM
The second Grand Slam title was not far
behind. Simona became the first
Romanian player to win the Wimbledon
singles title, brushing aside seven-time
champion Serena Williams in a one-sided
final. Calling it the “greatest match” of her
career, Simona hit only three unforced
errors in a 6-2 6-2 victory, the cleanest
triumph ever recorded in a Grand Slam
tournament final..

7. STYLE OF PLAY
Halep is often described as an aggressive
counterpuncher who uses her movement and
racquet head speed to turn rallies in her favor.Her
game is not serve-centric; instead, Halep relies on
neutralizing points with her return and then
moving the ball around the court with deft
touches. She has a versatile backhand that she hits
with equal confidence both crosscourt and down
the line, and her forehand has plenty of topspin
that is especially effective on clay.Halep doesn't
approach the net a lot, but can volley competently
when the need arises. She also brings out the drop
shot and lob every once in a while to keep her
opponents guessing.

8. Strengths and
weaknesses
Halep's greatest asset is her ability to blend offense
and defense seamlessly. Her ability to transition from a
precarious position to one of authority, by smartly
redirecting her opponent's pace and angling the ball
away from them, is second to none.
Halep's height and relative lack of power are the two
most obvious shortcomings of her game. Her serve
often sits up because it doesn't come down from a
great height, and that leads to it being broken
numerous times every match.

9. Thank you for your time!