WTA: Fan Favorite: Simona Halep again voted most popular player

The number one in (almost) all areas: Industry leader Simona Halep has received the Fan Award for the second time in a row.

The Halep fans are everywhere on the tour. No matter whether in Melbourne, Indian Wells, Madrid, Montreal or Beijing – the Romanian can rely on the now legendary “SI-MO-NA” chants that echo from the world’s tennis stands.

The fact that Halep won the vote for Fan Favorite on her own homepage in the year of her first Grand Slam Coup won by the professional association WTA is not really a surprise. Already in 2017 she was at the top and finished the reign of Agnieszka Radwanska, who had been rewarded with the prize six times in a row (2011 to 2016). The Polish woman had announced the end of her career a few weeks ago.

The WTA will not announce the exact numbers of the respective votes or further rankings of the fan favorites.

“My followers go wherever I play. I see so many of them in the crowd, it’s just impressive,” said Halep – and the 27-year-old said, “It’s great to hear your name between rallies and feel that there are people supporting you all over the world.”

Halep, born in Constanta on the Black Sea, is a folk heroine. Around 15,000 fans had prepared an emotional reception for the French Open winner at the beginning of June in the Bucharest football arena. Among the congratulators at the ceremony were tennis hero Ilie Nastase and football legend Gheorghe Hagi.

The national anthem “Deșteaptă-te, române!” was presented live. Scenes of her greatest success so far could be seen on a screen, while the Tina-Turner-Evergreen “Simply the Best” by Monica Anghel was performed. Halep was visibly moved by the atmosphere.

2009: Elena Dementieva (Russia)

2010: Maria Sharapova (Russia)

2011-2016: Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland)

2017: Simona Halep (Romania)

2018: Simona Halep (Romania)

Not only tennis icon Chris Evert had bowed to the world number one after the Romanian coup in Paris. “Simona fought like a lioness. She ran balls like no other, she showed emotions like no other,” Evert enthused.

Simona had previously experienced “so many disappointments” at the Grand Slams. And this victory at the most important clay court tournament in the tennis universe “erases the past” and is “therefore so much sweeter”, the American had stressed.

Halep won the final of Roland Garros 3:6, 6:4, 6:1 against Sloane Stephens (USA). Simo had lost their previous three major finals.