Simona Halep will return to tennis at the 2024 Miami Open, and her first match will be a proper challenge, as she'll face Paula Badosa.
This is a matchup between two players who haven't played that many matches lately. Badosa spent much of last year on the sidelines battling injuries, which poured over to this year as well.
She only managed to play nine matches so far this year, which isn't much, but then again, she's facing a player who hasn't played in over a year.
August 29, 2022, was the last time Halep played a tennis match, and it was a loss, so what will happen in her first match back after her suspension was reduced?
Badosa and Halep have played only two matches so far in their careers. This is not a huge surprise because the Spanish player had a bit of a slower start to her career, so she wasn't near the top initially.
Halep won both of those, though neither was played on hard courts. I want to think that Badosa would generally have a shot against Halep on hard courts.
Neither of those matches between them was particularly close, and I think the slightly quicker court in Mimai will suit Halep better.
| Simona Halep | Paula Badosa | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | H2H | 0 |
| - | Rank | 73 |
| 32 | Age | 26 |
| 0-0 | 2024 W/L | 4-5 |
| 579-238 | Career W/L | 328-186 |
It's really tough to predict what sort of disposition Halep will put forward, but I'd like to think she's dreamed of this moment. Just being able to step onto the courts again makes me feel like she's going to be very motivated.
Add in Badosa's injury woes lately, and Halep can really win this match, especially because of the added motivation that she has.
Prediction: Simona Halep to win in two sets.