Romanian Simona Halep, who will end 2018 at the top of the world rankings, was designated on Friday the best player of the year in the women's professional tennis circuit (WTA), according to the WTA's website.
Halep had the best season of her career in 2018, by winning her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, after unsuccessful attempts in Paris (2014) and the Australian Open (2018).
Simona Halep, who became the WTA leader for the first time in October 2017 and was almost the entire 2018 on the first world position, won the Roland Garros title after three consecutive victories against champions Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza and Sloane Stephens, after a series of matches characterized by fighting spirit, strategic changes and spectacular comebacks, and last but not least, the quality of playing her best tennis when it mattered the most.
In addition to her Roland Garros title, the Romanian has also won the tournaments in Shenzhen and Montreal, and played the finals at the Australian Open, Rome and Cincinnati. Only Petra Kvitova has more titles in 2018 (five), but no Grand Slam winner this year has played more than a major final, except for her, in Melbourne. Halep ended the season prematurely by abandoning in Beijing and withdrawing in Moscow and Singapore, where she qualified for the fifth consecutive time for the WTA Finals.
Halep (aged 27) ends the year with a record of 46 wins and 11 defeats and will be for the second consecutive year on the first place at the end of the season.
Simona Halep will also receive a special prize, being the only player to qualify for the five editions of the WTA Finals in Singapore. Next year, the WTA Finals will have another host.
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