Halep is again on the tour after profitable an enchantment that noticed her suspension diminished to 9 months, that means she had technically been eligible to compete since July 2023. She wasted no time in getting again to competitors after accepting a wildcard into the Miami Open the place she misplaced to Paula Badosa in three units.

The former world No. 1 had a brand new coach in tow when she arrived in Florida. Martinez - a well-known face on the WTA Tour - had beforehand labored with the likes of Daria Kasatlina, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Clara Tauson. And he determined to affix forces with Halep for her comeback.

The Spanish coach instructed Punto De Break that it was Darren Cahill who intervened to arrange a trial with Halep. Cahill labored with Halep on and off from 2016 to 2021 and now mentors ATP No. 3 Sinner, lately main him to the Australian Open title.

The Australian has remained in touch with Halep and staunchly defended her all through her doping saga, even vouching for her to an impartial tribunal final summer time. So it comes as no shock that he contacted Martinez, although Halep’s new coach grew to become satisfied after listening to how keen she was to affix forces with him.

“The fact that Simona was so convinced that she wanted to work with me was what ended up convincing me, if she shows interest I show the same or more,” he stated. “I have seen that she has things very clear, at this point we no longer have to instil in her how things are done, she already comes with that foundation of so many years of experience.”

Cahill did share his personal expertise of teaching Halep with Martinez because the Spaniard added: “She is a person with a lot of personality, she has a strong character and knows perfectly what she wants. I still don't know her that well, I know that she is a good girl, but what Darren tells me is that she is very demanding.”

Halep and Martinez will now return to the drafting board after Halep’s 1-6 6-4 6-3 defeat to Badosa in Miami. “It would be logical that the fine-tuning would take some time. We are talking about a person who has not competed for more than a year and a half, it will not be a quick process, but I prefer to stay with the positive aspects,” Halep’s new coach stated.

Before the Miami Open, the 32-year-old had not performed a match since August 2022. She was provisionally suspended in October of that 12 months for testing optimistic for the banned substance roxadustat in a doping take a look at on the US Open.

A couple of months later, she acquired a second cost referring to her athlete organic passport. An impartial tribunal charged her with each anti-doping violations final summer time and handed Halep a four-year ban. But she appealed to CAS final month, with the panel throwing out the ABP cost and accepting her argument that the roxadustat got here from a contaminated complement.