Barbara Schett (48 years old), a renowned tennis expert and former world number 7, spoke about Simona Halep’s (33 years old) comeback on the WTA circuit.
Simona withdrew from Auckland and the Australian Open, where she had received wildcards from the organizers, after citing medical issues. Since returning to tennis after the doping suspension, Halep has won only one match, and Barbara Schett emphasized the major issue our athlete is facing.
Schett believes that Simona's body started to give in after the long break she was forced to take due to the doping case. The former Austrian player believes that Halep should receive wildcards for more tournaments, assistance to get back in shape and avoid numerous injuries.
The lack of official matches can "throw" Simona "into a spiral of injuries."
"(n.b. - Does Simona Halep deserve a bit of help?) I think so. What place is she in? I think around 1,000, right? I don't know what the rules and regulations are and what they say if you have tested positive and been suspended for a period.
If she is eligible, of course, she should receive wildcards. She was a former world number 1, a former Grand Slam winner. It's a shame because she seems to be struggling physically. When you are no longer young and you don't play for such a long period... the body starts to give in and injuries appear. And then you enter a spiral of them," said Barbara Schett, according to golazo.ro.
Simona Halep is preparing to return to the court at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca in February.