Simona Halep stumble in Sydney is nothing to worry about

World number one Simona Halep entered the 2019 Sydney International as the top seed and favorite. She sees a shocking early exit.

Simona Halep must regroup and recover after her short-lived run at the 2019 Sydney International. The world number one came into Sydney as the top seed and favorite at the WTA Tour event. She is upset by last year’s runner-up Ashleigh Barty.

Should we be worried about Halep’s chances at the upcoming Australian Open? Not quite yet. Despite the loss to Barty, Halep has some positive takeaways.

The biggest takeaway from her upset in Sydney is that she feels healthy enough to compete. Halep did not encounter any major issues surrounding her ongoing back problems that caused her to cut her 2018 WTA Tour short. That’s huge.

While Halep would have much preferred to get more reps under her belt at the Sydney International, the most important thing right now is that she feel healthy enough to compete on the WTA Tour.

The other piece to note is that Barty is an extremely strong player in her own right. She has advanced into the semifinals in Sydney and was a tough opponent for the world number one to face for her first match back from injury. Halep emphasized that she needs to have more confidence in herself and strengthen her mental game before the upcoming action in Melbourne at the Australian Open.

Simona Halep must contend with players such as defending champion Caroline Wozniacki and German great Angelique Kerber at Melbourne Park. She will need to rally from her Sydney International upset and bounce back quickly. The Romanian is already in Melbourne and practicing ahead of the action. HERE, the main draw reveals both her and American tennis legend Serena Williams in the same round of 16. Stay tuned to see how the world number one fares at the 2019 Australian Open. She looks to take home her first ever title in women’s singles at the event.