Simona Halep Beats Sloane Stephens To Win French Open

World no. 1 Simona Halep’s dream of winning a Grand Slam title finally came around after a tight battle with Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. It was a gruelling French Open final on June 9 when Halep overcame Stephens to win her first major title.

Halep is only the second Romanian to win a Grand Slam. Virginia Ruzici was the first one who won the 1978 French Open

“In the last game I felt like I could not breathe anymore,” said Halep, The Hindu reported.

READ OUR INTERVIEW: Don’t Wait For The Change, Be The Change: Deepa Malik

Halep started off her campaign in the tournament a bit clumsy since she had lost all three of her previous major finals, including two at Roland Garros. She struggled to cope emotionally after staging a thrilling comeback.

But the Romanian banished the painful ghost from the past and dominated the final by defeating another top player in the race

She rallied to defeat Sloane Stephens, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, to win the French Open and join the ranks of leading players with a major singles title.

“I was dreaming for this moment since actually I started to play tennis,” Halep said. “It’s my favorite Grand Slam. I always said that if I’m going to win one, I want it to be here. It’s real now.”

“Last year it was tough to talk because I lost this match. But it’s emotional to be making this speech as a winner. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was 14,” Halep added.

On the other hand, US Open champion Stephens was looking forward to lift a second Grand Slam trophy when leading 6-3, 2-0. However, the 10th seed American was overpowered by Halep.

“It’s been amazing here for me,” said Stephens. “It’s not the trophy I wanted, but it’s still beautiful.”

Picture Credit: skysports

Also Read: When Serena Williams Handled John McEnroe’s Sexist Jibe Like A Boss

READ: Serena Williams Talks About Sexism

Read More Stories By Ria Das