With few days left until it starts, the 2017 french open might lose one of its stars as Simona Halep revealed that her ankle injury could prevent her from playing in Paris. Dominating the clay court swing in Europe, Simona Halep bounced back at the top following a slow start of the season. A winner in Madrid where she successfully defended her title, while in Rome she was a runner-up being defeated by Elina Svitolina in the final. For the Romanian player, that match against Svitolina is something similar to a horror movie. Leading the game quite well and having a 5-2 lead in the opening set, Halep slipped and fell injuring her ankle quite bad.
It was the turning point of the match. Despite winning the opening set, Halep lost her inner calm and focus allowing her opponent to built up her own way to the title.
A bad timing to get an injury as the odds put her in front for the French Open
Judging by her approach during the clay court swing, Simona Halep (4 WTA) shown a certain level of consistency that puts her on top of the list for Paris. A runner-up back in 2014 when she lost to Maria Sharapova at the end of a tight match, Simona is yet to match that result at the French Open. Now, it seemed that the momentum was working in her favour but that injury changes everything. Being the world no. 4 means that if she plays in Paris she will be seeded third due to Serena Williams' absence from the main draw.
At 25 years of age, the Romanian went through some difficult moments especially after the meltdown she had in Miami. The clay season was her chance to thrive again but an injury is an unpredictable factor always sitting in the dark waiting for a moment to strike.
Simona Halep has arrived in Paris to get treatment for her torn ankle
According to the WTA official website, the Romanian has arrived in the French capital in order to receive proper care for her injury. It's a torn ligament in her ankle that seems to be the issue. A common injury for a surface like clay. The other days, Eugenie Bouchard withdrew from Nuremberg due to a similar reason, the only difference being that the Canadian got the injury during a training session.
Halep's medical team gives a 50/50 assessment for the second Grand Slam of the year. Given her overall tennis output over the past month or so, it would be a shame if she won't be able to play in Paris. If she'll be forced to take some time off it would also influence her momentum. Ultimately, she deserves a Grand Slam after being one of the most consistent players on the WTA circuit over the past three or four seasons.
