Lob and Smash
Fansided

French Open: Rafael Nadal, Simona Halep, other greats shine

By Harry Floyd

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during the mens singles final against Dominic Thiem of Austria during day fifteen of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on June 10, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during the mens singles final against Dominic Thiem of Austria during day fifteen of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on June 10, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 2
Next
French Open
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 09: Simona Halep of Romania holds the trophy as she celebrates victory following the ladies singles final against Sloane Stephens of The United States during day fourteen of the 2018 French Open at Roland Garros on June 9, 2018 in Paris, France. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

Romanian tennis star Simona Halep earns her first career Grand Slam singles title. She defeats Sloane Stephens in the finals.

Simona Halep no longer has to answer questions about when she will win a Grand Slam singles title. The world number one joins an elite club of players by winning the 2018 French Open. Defeating American Sloan Stephens in the finals, Halep adds one of the most elusive accomplishments in tennis to her resume. She has dreamt of this moment for years. The win continues a fantastic streak of tennis that Halep has seen as of late.

More from Lob and Smash

Throughout her time at Roland Garros, Halep beat the likes of Taylor Townsend, Andrea Petkovic, Elise Mertens, Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza and then Stephens in the finals. Her 2018 title-run included just two dropped sets. The world number one stepped up this month and proved why she is the top contender in women’s singles tennis right now. Her success will only further the intense competition the 2018 WTA Tour is seeing.

After finishing runner-up to Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open earlier this year, Halep rises to the occasion at Roland Garros. Her back and forth battle with Wozniacki for number one takes a back seat to winning the French Open. Halep ought to enjoy the victory for a while before getting back into the tour mindset heading into the grass courts.

Simona Halep is now a Grand Slam singles title winner on the WTA Tour. She completes an impressive comeback, defeating American tennis star Sloan Stephens at the 2018 French Open.

Next: Serena Bounces Back: RG18

The runner-up finish is also a major positive takeaway for Stephens. Last year, she returned from injury after undergoing a surgery to win the 2017 US Open. Stephens instantly became a headline name in women’s singles tennis and she has maintained her place atop the sport ever since. At just 25-years-old, the WTA Tour will continue to see her compete a high level for years to come. As the 2018 French Open wraps up, players are enjoying their success and focusing ahead toward the grass court season and play at Wimbledon.

Home/French Open