Simona Halep has revealed her doping suspension being cut short was “bigger than Grand Slams, bigger than No 1” as she pondered a future return to the top 10.
Former world No 1 and two-time major winner Halep was allowed to return to the tour back in March after her previous four-year ban was cut down to nine months on appeal.
The Romanian made a quick comeback at the Miami Open, losing in round one to Paula Badosa, though has played just once since then amid ongoing injury struggles.
There is no clear timeline for the 32-year-old’s return and, speaking to We Are Tennis, she admitted her physical struggles were limiting her ambitions for her comeback.
However, she did reveal she would aim for a top-10 return should she get back playing regularly, and said finding out she could return was “bigger” than her greatest triumphs.
Halep said: “It was bigger than Grand Slams, bigger than No 1.
“It was about integrity, and it was about myself, my person. I have always been honest and correct to tennis, to this sport.
“Even when I was a kid, I was not cheating with, you know, when you run around the court, I never cheated. Always, if I didn’t do, I said to the coach. It was just my vision of life. It was like that.
“I’m thinking every day about this [a target when back playing], and I’m analyzing myself what I can do more and how good I can be again.
“I’m in doubt right now, I’m honest. I cannot practice full [sic] because of the injury.
“My personality is that if I come back, I want top 10. Because it’s just the way I’m thinking and the way I was all the time.
“That’s why maybe I was No 1, because I always pushed my limit to that direction. But now the question is am I able again to do it? Do I have power inside to do it?
“I don’t know these answers. But this is the dream if I come back fully to tennis.”
During her suspension, the Romanian was forced to keep her distance from the sport – and wasn’t even allowed to watch matches in person.
And she compared her return to the game to gaining a sense of “freedom” back in her life.
She added: “It was amazing. It was like a freedom.
“I never [sic] been in jail, and hopefully I’ll never be, but they say, many people told me it looks like you are in jail. I could not go watch a tennis match. This was the most difficult thing.
“I wanted to go to Paris Bercy to see Sinner, and I was not able. So, what did I do that bad that I’m not able to watch a match? This is too much, in my opinion.
“When I got the freedom, it was, like, a relief and the light came back.”
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