Simona Halep's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, praised the Romanians in the crowd at the National Bank Open in Toronto for their role in Halep's triumph in the final against Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Mouratoglou began working with Halep during the clay-court season at a time when she was low in confidence. The 30-year-old's results did not change in the first few tournaments with the Frenchman as her coach.
However, Halep's fortunes began to improve during the grass-court season when she reached three semifinals, including at Wimbledon. The 2019 champion at SW19 could not overcome Elena Rybakina, but the improvement in her level was evident.
Halep took the next step at the National Bank Open. After beating players like Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula to reach the final, she beat Beatriz Haddad Maia to win her third title in Canada.
It was also her first title in Toronto, having previously won the tournament twice in Montreal. In a social media post, Mouratoglou paid tribute to the Romanian fans in the stands who gave Halep overwhelming support throughout the match.
"First, I would like to warmly thank the incredible Romanian crowd in Toronto who have been so important in the support of Simona through this victorious past week. I have never witnessed a nation that stands behind their champion this hard, from all over the world."
Mouratoglou also thanked the other members of Halep's team who support her daily. He finished by congratulating Halep, calling her an incredible competitor, which she demonstrated once again throughout an excellent week at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
"Second, I want to thank the members of our Team who help Simona everyday perform. Third, I want to congratulate Simona. You have been an incredible competitor all week and shown once again why you have such a relentless career."
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