Simona Halep's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Simona Halep.

Simona Halep is a Romanian former professional tennis player who achieved the world No. 1 ranking in women's singles by the WTA for 64 weeks. She finished as the year-end No. 1 in both 2017 and 2018. During her career, Halep secured 25 WTA Tour-level titles, including two Grand Slam victories: the 2018 French Open and the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1973: Romania's Previous Semifinal Appearance

In 1973, Romania last reached the semifinals of the World Group before their appearance in 2019.

1974: Mariana Simionescu's French Open Title

In 1974, Mariana Simionescu won the French Open, setting a precedent for future Romanian tennis players.

1986: Steffi Graf's Achievement

In 1986, Steffi Graf achieved a similar feat to Halep, by being the last person to win her first six WTA titles in the same season.

1997: Martina Hingis at the Australian Open

In 1997, Martina Hingis reached her maiden Grand Slam final without dropping a set at the Australian Open.

2008: Junior Grand Slam Title at French Open

In 2008, Simona Halep won her only junior Grand Slam title at the French Open, defeating Elena Bogdan in the final and becoming the top-ranked junior in the world.

2009: Top 100 Victory

In 2009, Simona Halep defeated No. 96 Angelique Kerber for her first top 100 victory and reached the top 200 of the WTA rankings.

2009: WTA 1000 Finals with Serena Williams since 2009

She became the player with the joint-most WTA 1000 18 finals to level with Serena Williams since 2009.

2011: Top 50 Ranking

In 2011, Simona Halep broke into the world's top 50 in tennis rankings.

August 2013: Top 20 Ranking

In August 2013, Simona Halep entered the top 20 in the world tennis rankings.

January 2014: Top 10 Ranking

In January 2014, Simona Halep achieved a top 10 ranking in the world of tennis.

January 2014: Halep in the Top 10 since January 2014

Since January 2014, Halep had been a consistent presence in the top 10 rankings.

May 2014: Signed with Adidas

In May 2014, Halep began her sponsorship deal with Adidas, which later ended at the start of 2018.

November 2014: Vodafone Romania Deal

In November 2014, Halep signed a three-year deal with Vodafone Romania and appeared in their commercials.

2014: WTA Most Popular Player of the Year

In 2014, Halep was named the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year.

2014: Grand Slam Quarterfinal and Premier 5 Title

In 2014, Simona Halep reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open and won her first Premier 5 title at the Qatar Open. She also reached the finals at both the Madrid Open and the French Open.

2014: Top 5 Finish Each Year Starting with 2014

Starting with 2014, Halep had finished each year in the top 5.

2015: Fed Cup World Group II

In 2015, Halep and Begu led Romania to a victory against Spain in the World Group II, with Halep winning against Sílvia Soler Espinosa. However, both lost to Garbiñe Muguruza.

2015: Strong Start to 2015 Season

In 2015, Halep started the season strongly, reaching at least the quarterfinals in her first six events, winning the Shenzhen Open, reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, winning the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Indian Wells Open. She reached the semi-finals at the Miami Open. During the clay court season, she reached the semi-finals at the Stuttgart Open and the Italian Open. She was upset in the second round of the French Open and at Wimbledon.

2015: WTA Most Popular Player of the Year

In 2015, Halep was named the WTA Most Popular Player of the Year.

2016: Underperformance and Madrid Open Win in 2016

In 2016, Halep underperformed at the Grand Slam events, starting with an opening round loss at the Australian Open. She dealt with an Achilles injury and infections. In March 2016, Halep lost in the quarterfinals at both Premier Mandatory events. During the clay-court season, Halep won the Madrid Open. At the French Open, she lost to Samantha Stosur in the fourth round and at Wimbledon, she lost to Angelique Kerber in the quarterfinals.

2016: Hublot Watches Sponsorship

Since 2016, Halep has been internationally sponsored by Hublot watches.

2017: Reaching World No. 1 Ranking in 2017

In 2017, Halep reached the semifinals at the Canadian Open and finished as runner-up at the Cincinnati Open. At the US Open, she lost in the first round to Maria Sharapova. Halep reached the final at the China Open. Despite the loss, Halep became the world No. 1 for the first time in 2017. She finished the season as the world No. 1.

2017: WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player

In 2017, Halep was named the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player.

2017: Simona Halep World No. 1 Ranking

In 2017, Simona Halep achieved the World No. 1 ranking.

2017: Year-End No. 1 Ranking

In 2017, Simona Halep was ranked as the year-end No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA.

2017: Mercedes-Benz Romania Ambassador

Since 2017, Halep has been a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz Romania.

February 2018: Signed with Nike

In February 2018, Halep signed a $1.7 million deal with Nike as her clothing sponsor.

2018: Celebration for French Open Title

In 2018, Halep was welcomed back to Romania with large celebrations at the Arena Națională in Bucharest after winning the French Open.

2018: Won French Open

In 2018, Halep won her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, coached by Darren Cahill, who then left her team.

2018: Australian Open and French Open Victories

In 2018, Simona Halep finished as runner-up at the Australian Open before winning the French Open.

2018: Year-End No. 1 Ranking and French Open Win

In 2018, Simona Halep was again ranked as the year-end No. 1 in women's singles by the WTA and also won the French Open.

2018: WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year

In 2018, Simona Halep was named the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year.

2018: Romania Advances to World Group Play-offs

In 2018, despite Halep missing the tie due to injury, Romania won against Canada to advance back to the World Group play-offs.

2018: Top Returner on WTA Tour

In the 2018 season, Halep was ranked as one of the best returners on the WTA Tour, finishing first in percentage of first serve return points won at 42.9%.

2019: Celebration for Wimbledon Triumph

In 2019, Halep was celebrated at the Arena Națională in Bucharest after her Wimbledon triumph, attended by notable Romanian athletes.

2019: Defending Champion at Wimbledon in 2019

In 2019, Halep was the defending champion at Wimbledon.

2019: Won Wimbledon with Daniel Dobre

In 2019, Halep won her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, coached by Daniel Dobre, and later rehired Darren Cahill.

2019: Wimbledon Title

In 2019, Halep won the Wimbledon title, despite being considered "no one's idea of a grass-court player" beforehand.

2019: Romania Reaches Fed Cup Semifinals

In 2019, Romania reached the Fed Cup semifinals for the first time since 1973, with Halep winning both of her singles matches against Karolína Plíšková and Kateřina Siniaková in the first round against Czech Republic.

2019: Promotion Back to World Group

In 2019, Romania, with Halep winning two singles rubbers, secured a victory against Switzerland to get promoted back to the top-tier World Group.

2019: Simona Halep World No. 1 Ranking

In 2019, Simona Halep achieved the World No. 1 ranking.

2019: WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year

In 2019, Simona Halep was named the WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year.

2020: 2020 Season: Three WTA Titles

In 2020, Halep won three WTA titles, including the Dubai Tennis Championships, Prague Open, and the Italian Open. She lost to Iga Swiatek in the fourth round of the 2020 French Open.

August 2021: End of Top 10 Streak

From 27 January 2014 to 8 August 2021, Halep was ranked in the top 10 for 373 consecutive weeks, the eighth-longest streak in WTA history.

2022: 2022 Season: Melbourne Title and Coaching Change

In 2022, Halep won her 23rd title at the Melbourne Summer Set 1. At the Australian Open, she lost in the fourth round to Alizé Cornet. In February, Halep reached the semifinals of the Dubai Open. In March 2022, she lost in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open and announced Patrick Mouratoglou as her full-time coach.