Simona Halep crushed Serena Williams and won Wimbledon using an edge: her boyfriend

Last year, Simona Halep won the first Wimbledon of her career, a rare achievement in any player’s arsenal, but, according to her former coach, Daniel Dobre, she used a secret weapon that helped her raise the Venus Rosewater Dish above her head, following the memorable 6/2, 6/2 triumph over Serena Williams, who failed to record her 24th Grand Slam.

That hidden advantage was nothing else than her boyfriend, Toni Iuruc, who had been cheering her from the stands of an official tournament for the very first time. Daniel Dobre, the coach who helped Simona add her second Grand Slam to her trophy case, unveiled how Toni boosted the Romanian first racket's performance at the All England Club. 

“At Wimbledon, Simona had a very good atmosphere in the team. She met Toni, who accompanied her for the first time during a tournament, so, emotionally, she was in a very good mood. She gave it all, like she usually does, but in a more relaxed way. The draw was difficult, but in the end, it was an incredible tournament,” said Daniel Dobre on a Tennis with an Accent podcast episode.

Simona Halep has a very powerful personality

Besides talking about Simona Halep’s psychological edge she gained from the presence of her lover, Daniel Dobre, who was dismissed after Darren Cahill returned to team Halep at the start of 2020, explained how Simona’s strong spirit makes her a very independent and straight-forward person.

“She has a very powerful personality. Every decision regarding coaches and her career, she took by herself. It’s weird because in Romania parents decide everything. When she was 14-15 years old, Simona said she wanted to go to Bucharest to train, then that she didn't want that coach anymore, but the other,” said Dobre.

“She said ‘my back hurts, I’ll go and have a breast reduction surgery. She is a very inspired person when it comes to making these kinds of decisions. In the 12 years I have known her for, she was never late and she doesn’t forget what you had talked with her even if months or entire years have passed.”

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