International book international book of favorite sports_FV | Page 133

VII.6 Tennis – leading sportsmen
SIMONA HALEP - (born 27 September 1991 in Constanța ) is
a Romanian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in
singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Halep first broke into the
world's top 50 at the end of 2012, reached the top 20 in August 2013, and finally
the top 10 in January 2014. She won her first 6 WTA titles in the same calendar
year in 2013 (a feat that was last achieved by Steffi Graf in 1986 when she won
her first 7), being named the WTA's Most Improved Player at its end, as well as
being named ESPN Center Court's 2013 Most Improved Player.
Halep reached the 2014 French Open final, her first Grand Slam final, where she
lost to Maria Sharapova in three sets. She also reached the final of the WTA
Finals the same year, losing to Serena Williams in straight sets after having
defeated her 6-0 6-2 earlier in the tournament. Halep continued her success
throughout the 2015 and 2016 seasons winning 3 titles in each respective season
(including 2 Premier Mandatory titles) and remaining within the Top 10. In 2017
she played in her second French Open final, losing again in three sets (this time
to Jeļena Ostapenko), after leading by a set and 3-0 in the second. Halep was the
most clicked player on WTATennis.com for two consecutive years (2014–2015),
when she was awarded the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year prize. After
the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, Simona Halep became the active player
with the most consecutive weeks within the Top 10. Halep has also won WTA's
Fan Favorite Singles Player in 2017.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simona_Halep
Sorana Mihaela Cîrstea – ( born 7 April 1990
in Bucharest) is a Romanian tennis player. She
achieved her career-high ranking of world No.
21 on 12 August 2013 and has appeared in the
quarterfinals of the French Open and the final
of the Rogers Cup.
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