Simona Halep welcomed her comeback match in nearly two years at the Miami Open despite losing in the first round on Tuesday.
Visit M88 Sports for more tennis news and updates.
HALEP COMEBACK MATCH ‘SPECIAL’ REGARDLESS OF RESULT
Halep was still all smiles despite yielding a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 setback to Paula Badosa in her first match in 18 months.
“I would rate it as a special day, honestly, considering the period I had,” Halep said.
It was the first match for the 32-year-old Romanian after a doping ban forced her out of action for four years.
Fortunately for Halep, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced her sentence to 18 months.
RETURN TO COURT ‘SOMETHING SPECIAL,’ HALEP SAYS
Halep expressed her gratitude to Miami Open organizers for allowing her to compete again.
“It’s something more than tennis. It’s something personal. I really love to see that people are appreciating me beside tennis and beside everything that happened,” she added.
Badosa was happy to see Halep on the court again, describing her as someone she looks up to” growing up.
“It’s very nice to have Simona back. But she really inspires me and it’s so nice to have her back,” Badosa said.
