Will Halep win another slam or get back to #1 ever again?

[chimneysweep]

While I definitely dont think Halep is near Sharapova levels of finished yet, signs are already there of a decline. And keep in mind she is a 28 year old grinder, and while the game is getting older, grinders typically phase out a lot sooner. And she isnt a grinder with a power shot to finish points off like the Nadal forehand.

I like her but I am not sure she will win another slam, especialy when in her prime (I think she is already now exiting her true prime) she only managed 1, despite that she probably should have won more than 1 at Roland Garros. And reaching #1 again, well the womens game is so wide open anything is possible, but that wont be easy either, even her famed consistency isnt really there anymore.

 

[Deleted member 744492]

I like her very much and hope she will win another slam, definitely deserves it. OTOH, as you said, her game seems to be declining.

In my opinion she already maxed out her tennis potential - it's not like she can develop an aggressive game, she doesn't have the height for that. At this point in her career, she's more experienced than most and maybe that would help her win a few big titles more. Many of her matches go 3 sets, mostly because her level always drops for some time during a match. In order to remain a consistent contender for the big titles, she will need to fix that and stop gifting games/sets in every match.

 

[Edhead-Fedhead]

I hope she does both. I think it's possible, but she'll need a bit of luck.

 

[Sport]

I like her very much and hope she will win another slam, definitely deserves it. OTOH, as you said, her game seems to be declining.

In my opinion she already maxed out her tennis potential - it's not like she can develop an aggressive game, she doesn't have the height for that. At this point in her career, she's more experienced than most and maybe that would help her win a few big titles more. Many of her matches go 3 sets, mostly because her level always drops for some time during a match. In order to remain a consistent contender for the big titles, she will need to fix that and stop gifting games/sets in every match.

Na, she is only 27, too young to be declining. Last year she won her ONLY Grand Slam, which proves that Halep failing to win Grand Slams is the general rule, rather than an exception.

 

[chimneysweep]

Na, she is only 27, too young to be declining. Last year she won her ONLY Grand Slam, which proves that Halep failing to win Grand Slams is the general rule, rather than an exception.

She is turning 28 this year, and she is a baseline grinder. That is actually fairly old for that kind of player, even in the climate of todays game. Nadal isnt a total grinder as he has the forehand weapon.

 

[upchuck]

She was a weak era champion to be honest, capitalizing on that period after Serena got pregnant and before Osaka and the depth picked up.

 

[Sport]

She is turning 28 this year, and she is a baseline grinder. That is actually fairly old for that kind of player, even in the climate of todays game. Nadal isnt a total grinder as he has the forehand weapon.

So? She is 27 right now, my claim was accurate. Her game doesn't seem to be declining. 27 is not old by any means, 27 is still the peak of physical form. Usain Bolt run faster at age 26 in the Olympics 2012 than in the Olympics 2008 at age 22. And it is a well-known fact that stamina is lost more slowly than speed, that's why you see so many profesional marathon runners in their 40s running over 40 Km.

Even baseliners like Nadal or Djokovic were at their best when aged 27 (Nadal USO 2013/AO 2014) and 28 (Djokovic 2015). The same applies to other sports, with players like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Messi, Cristiano, being at their best aged 27/28.

There is no evidence suggesting that Halep is declining just because she failed to win Roland-Garros. She failed to win RG because that is the general rule in her career. She has only won 1 Grand Slam in her career.

In any case, if Halep is indeed declining, it won't be because of age. Garbiñe Muguruza won 2 Grand Slams, but since 2018 she has been a non-factor in Slams. Muguruza has declined despite being only 25, the perfect age to compete. So decline in tennis can be due to other aspects, not necessarily age but confidence, personal problems, etc.

 

[Deleted member 744492]

So? She is 27 right now, my claim was accurate. Her game doesn't seem to be declining. 27 is not old by any means, 27 is still the peak of physical form. Usain Bolt run faster at age 26 in the Olympics 2012 than in the Olympics 2008 at age 22. And it is a well-known fact that stamina is lost more slowly than speed, that's why you see so many profesional marathon runners in their 40s running over 40 Km.

Even baseliners like Nadal or Djokovic were at their best when aged 27 (Nadal USO 2013/AO 2014) and 28 (Djokovic 2015). The same applies to other sports, with players like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Messi, Cristiano, being at their best aged 27/28.

There is no evidence suggesting that Halep is declining just because she failed to win Roland-Garros. She failed to win RG because that is the general rule in her career. She has only won 1 Grand Slam in her career.

In any case, if Halep is indeed declining, it won't be because of age. Garbiñe Muguruza won 2 Grand Slams, but since 2018 she has been a non-factor in Slams. Muguruza has declined despite being only 25, the perfect age to compete. So decline in tennis can be due to other aspects, not necessarily age but confidence, personal problems, etc.

Sure, I wouldn't say she's old, but her game is definitely declining for some time now. The comparison to male athletes is not really relevant IMO - even if they're still baseliners overall, both Djokovic and Nadal have a lot more to their game than just grinding endlessly. Both of them can get aggressive if necessary, come to the net, have solid serves, etc.

This is not the case for Simona - besides grinding from the baseline and getting into endless rallies, she doesn't really have much else going for her. She plays a lot of points every game, many long rallies - often for 3 sets, even versus non-so-spectacular players. This is the moment to note that even if she's still 27/close to 28, she has a lot of mileage due to her grinding game. It took a lot out of her to remain at the top for such a long time now, then again she also had some bad injuries, parted ways with her coach, etc. While I do hope she remains among the best for many more years, I don't think this will be the case if most of her matches continue to be endless dramas. At this point, I think she really needs to put her experience to use and start winning her matches in the early rounds routinely. If this doesn't happen and she keeps on struggling with most of her matches in the early rounds, I don't think she'll win another Slam at all.

As for reaching No. 1 again - while that would be great, I don't think it really makes so much difference and doubt it's her priority.

 

[Deleted member 293577]

While I definitely dont think Halep is near Sharapova levels of finished yet, signs are already there of a decline. And keep in mind she is a 28 year old grinder, and while the game is getting older, grinders typically phase out a lot sooner. And she isnt a grinder with a power shot to finish points off like the Nadal forehand.

I like her but I am not sure she will win another slam, especialy when in her prime (I think she is already now exiting her true prime) she only managed 1, despite that she probably should have won more than 1 at Roland Garros. And reaching #1 again, well the womens game is so wide open anything is possible, but that wont be easy either, even her famed consistency isnt really there anymore.

Way way too early to write off Simona Halep. She is 27-9 on the year and has made 2 premier finals. most players would envy that record. Cahill has said might coach her again next year. And she is 27, not 28.