Simona Halep stunned the tennis world in 2019 when she beat Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final – and she has since opened up on the decision that changed her life
Tennis star Simona Halep has opened up on her decision to have breast reduction surgery at the age of 17, which she believes was key to her Grand Slam success.
The Romanian sensation, now 32, felt “uncomfortable” with her body, prompting her to take the bold step in a bid to enhance her performance on the court.
Her gamble certainly paid off; after going from a 34DD to a 34C, Halep clinched her first Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2018 and went on to triumph over Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2019.
Since the surgery in 2009, Halep has not only bagged two Grand Slam titles but also appeared in five finals, marking her one of the sport’s top competitors.
Halep has candidly shared that before the procedure her ability to react quickly on the court was hindered, affecting her game. Despite winning the French Open as a junior and topping the world junior rankings, Halep faced challenges early in her professional career, which were overcome following her transformative surgery, leading to an impressive streak of form.
The Romanian star has opened up about her breast reduction surgery, saying: “My ability to react quickly was worse and my breasts made me uncomfortable”, and “It’s the weight that troubles me”.
She told Sportskeeda that the drastic step to go under the knife was key to climbing the tennis ranks to world number one, which she achieved in October 2017. “When I did it, I did it for tennis,” Halep declared. “Doing that was really important to be No.1 today”.
Halep also confessed that her decision wasn’t solely for the sake of her career; it was due to the personal discomfort she suffered. “I didn’t like them in my everyday life, either,” she admitted. “I would have gone for surgery even if I hadn’t been a sportswoman”.
The transformation was not just physical but pivotal for her professional journey, with her former coach Wim Fissette acknowledging the surgery as a significant turning point as under the Belgian’s guidance, Halep saw improvements in her game after they teamed up in 2014.
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Halep soared to her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open, dazzled in the French Open final, and stormed into the Wimbledon semi-finals while clinching a career-high world number two ranking in August of 2018.
Despite their successful collaboration, the duo parted ways by the year’s end, with Halep opting to work with coaches from her homeland. The 44-year-old coach reflected on Halep’s pivotal surgery decision, admitting: “I did not know her then, but I have seen some photos. She took that decision and it was a good one”.
