A coach-less Simona Halep is embracing her new sense of “freedom” as she gets ready for the upcoming Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships without a mentor in her corner.
The two-time Dubai champion has recently parted ways with her coaches Daniel Dobre and Adrian Marcu and is flying solo for the time being, keen to experience the tour on her own for a while.
Halep, who begins her bid for a third title in Dubai against American wildcard Alison Riske in the opening round, had a long and successful coaching partnership with Australian Darren Cahill before announcing a split last September.
The two-time Grand Slam winner, who started 2022 by lifting a WTA trophy in Melbourne prior to her fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, reunited with Dobre and Marcu – whom she had worked with in the past – but the agreement did not last long and the Romanian is now taking on a new responsibility of coaching herself at tournaments.
“I don’t have a coach right now, I have a sparring partner and he’s travelling with me these days. I didn’t take a decision about the coaching. I’m not looking for a coach, I’m just enjoying my time alone and hopefully I can do a good job,” Halep, 30, told The National in Dubai.
“I feel a little bit of freedom, so I think I have to enjoy this moment. I won’t say it’s the best situation but I’m looking forward to experiencing it and to see how it goes.”
Halep, who missed three months in 2021 due to a calf injury, dropped out of the world’s top 20 at the end of last season for the first time since 2013 and is ranked No 22 this week.
Asked if she’ll now be doing her own scouting at tournaments to make sure she is well-prepared for her opponents, Halep said: “No. I know all the girls and I trust myself that I know how to play some matches.”
Dubai draw produces big match-ups
A host of thrilling match-ups were revealed during Saturday’s draw ceremony with eight of the world’s top 10 competing in Dubai this upcoming week.
Defending champion and No 4 seed Garbine Muguruza faces a daunting opener against recent Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins, with the winner of that clash advancing to a second round against former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka or Veronika Kudermetova.
World No 2 Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed and could square off with 2013 Dubai champion Petra Kvitova in the second round.
Kvitova must first move past Italian big-hitter Camila Giorgi in what is just one of several mouthwatering opening rounds in Dubai this year.
In a battle of former Grand Slam champions, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin opens against 2017 Roland Garros winner Jelena Ostapenko, with the victor moving on to a second round against either No 6 seed Iga Swiatek or 2018 Dubai runner-up Daria Kasatkina.
Two top-20 ranked Americans, Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, will face off in the first round while last year’s Dubai finalist and French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova tackles French wildcard Caroline Garcia in her opener.
The Arab world is represented in No 8 seed Ons Jabeur and Egyptian wildcard Mayar Sherif, who play Vera Zvonareva and Anett Kontaveit respectively in their first rounds.
Two-time Dubai champion Elina Svitolina was also present at the draw ceremony and she will have to wait until the qualifying rounds are over to find out who she will face in her opening clash. Svitolina is one of just three women to claim back-to-back titles in Dubai, having triumphed in 2017 and 2018.
“I think the best memories I have in Dubai are when I won the tournament for the first time in 2017. When I won the final I entered the top-10 for the first time, so that was really special for me,” the Ukrainian said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
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All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
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France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Marseille 0
Atletico Madrid 3
Greizmann (21', 49'), Gabi (89')
