Noah Rubin’s “Behind The Racquet” • With • Simona Halep | Tennis 10sBalls

Editor’s note: 10sBalls thanks Noah Rubin for giving us permission to repost these great stories.

The most important thing is to maintain a positive state of mind and focus on mental health because we have to deal with many things such as injuries and risking our own health sometimes. I want to raise awareness about tennis in Poland and do charity work to help kids achieve their dreams. I have many ideas but have not had the guts to act on them yet.”

“In 2014, tennis changed my life. I played in my first Grand Slam final at the French Open. No one in Romania had reached a Grand Slam final since 1978. Emotions exploded and everyone had high hopes for my future. They started to believe I could win a Grand Slam. I became popular overnight. People recognized me on the streets and asked for pictures and autographs. This was a big change and was tough to manage but I learned many things during this time. I tried to enjoy the attention but it was stressful because it took a lot of energy. I did not want to lose focus on my career. I tried to find a balance. I was generous and open with fans but stayed focused on the hard work needed to earn results on court.

At first, I felt I had to show the world I could keep winning. This feeling motivated me to improve every day but was always in my mind. Over the past few years, I have improved in the way I deal with both negative and positive aspects of pressure. I embrace pressure after a big win. I face the pressure and try not to base my tennis life on success. I want to win matches and tournaments but I have learned you do not have to put success first. The most important thing is hard work. If you give one hundred percent, you have no cause for regret. I have never been scared of failure. If you do not succeed, you were not good enough so you must work harder.”

Simona Halep (@simonahalep)