Simona Halep • WTA World Number One • Is The Romanian Star Treated Right?

Simona Halep of Romania in action against Sloane Stephens of the US during the final of the Rogers Cup Women’s tennis tournament in Montreal, Canada, 12 August 2018. EPA-EFE/ANDRE PICHETTE

Simona Halep knocked all comers out of the Rogers Cup and didn’t pull any punches discussing her feelings for the WTA.

World No. 1 Halep blasted WTA schedule makers who she believes “always try to put me down” during her run to her second Rogers Cup crown in the last three years.

The reigning Roland Garros champion did not back off her criticism after fighting off Sloane Stephens in a three-set thriller to capture her 18th career title in Montreal on Sunday.

“I keep my word. I say it was a tough schedule for me,” Halep said after the final. “But that’s it. I will look ahead.”

Rain in Montreal forced Halep to play two matches on Thursday.

The top seed was not happy with her 1 p.m. semifinal against 15th-seeded Ashleigh Barty after she defeated Caroline Garcia on Friday night.

 

Asked how she was feeling after her win, Halep replied “definitely not good” before unloading on the WTA suggesting schedule sabotage.

 

“Because if you look at the schedule, I think I’m the only one person and player who has the worst schedule during the week,” Halep told the media in Montreal. “I think this happens almost every tournament. I saw that tomorrow I play at 1:00.

 

“So I think WTA is a little bit upset with me because they always try to put me down, I can say, in the schedule. And I’m very upset about this. Tomorrow I’m going to go on court and I will try to give my best. I have nothing to lose. It’s a semifinal. So I just go there and I try to play.”

 

Halep claims this isn’t the first time she’s been victimized by the schedule.

 

“If you check the schedule this tournament, and many other tournaments, you can see what is right and what is not right,” Halep said. “My opponent has already six hours at the hotel resting, and I just finished the match and I’m doing now these things.

 

“I’ll be very late again. Yesterday I played two matches. I feel like today I should have played second match in the night, and also tomorrow at 6, not at 1. This is my opinion.”

Asked if she has issues with the WTA, Halep replied: “I don’t know. You have to ask them. I have no problems with anyone.”