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Simona Halep: All you need to know about the new French Open champion

Romanian tennis ace Simona Halep won her first ever grand slam title on Saturday.

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Top seed and Romanian tennis ace Simona Halep won her first ever grand slam title after surging past a fighting Sloane Stephens of the United States in the final of women's singles at the Roland Garros here on Saturday.

Halep, who had lost the last three major finals, won the match 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in just over two hours.

The Romanian was outclassed in the first set by Stephens, but recovered well to win the second set.

In the second set, when both players were going neck and neck and were tied at 4-4, Halep re-discovered her red-hot form to win the next games and force the match to go into the next set.

In the last set, Halep played a handful of excellent serves to leave Stephens in a spot of bother.

She then continued her dominance, coupled with aggression and excellent footwork as she smashed her way to her first win of a major tournament.

After winning her first grand slam title, Halep broke down and was later comforted by her coach Darren Cahill.

All you need to know about the new French Open women's singles champion: 

Born: September 27, 1991 

Place: Constanta, Romania (Age: 26)

Grand Slam titles (1): French Open 2018

Halep's path to success

- Halep won her first Grand Slam title after falling at the final hurdle three times - Roland Garros (2014, 2017) and the Australian Open (2018).

- Became the first Romanian to win a Grand Slam crown since her manager Virginia Ruzici in Paris in 1978.

- Halep started playing at the age of four and turned pro in 2006.

- Halep announced herself to the world in 2013, claiming six WTA titles (Nuremberg, 'S-Hertogenbosch, Budapest, New Haven, Moscow and Sofia).  She finished the season at number 11.

- Halep won two WTA titles in 2014, at Doha and Bucharest. Finished runner-up in three more events, including the French Open where she was beaten by Maria Sharapova in the final. Reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon.  She rose to world number 3. 

- Halep won in Shenzhen, Dubai and Indian Wells in 2015. She also reached the semi-finals at the US Open and the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. She finished the year ranked number two.

- She claimed three WTA titles in 2016, in Madrid, Bucharest and Montreal. Quarter-finalist at Wimbledon and US Open.

- Halep reached number one for the first time in 2017 and won the Madrid title. However, she lost in the 2017 French Open final to Jelena Ostapenko and 2018 Australian Open final to Caroline Wozniacki.

- When she was a teenager, Halep underwent breast reduction surgery for personal comfort and to ease her movement around the court. "I would have gone for surgery even if I hadn't been a sportswoman," she said.

- Halep is also a committed businesswoman. As well as buying up property, she opened her own restaurant, called 'SH' in her home town of Constanta.

- Praised for her modesty on and off court, Sports Illustrated has described her as an 'anti-diva'.

- She said after Saturday's win: "In the last game I felt like I could not breathe anymore."

(With Agencies Input)

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