Simona Halep and Andrei Pavel will play on Saturday, at the Sports Festival, a demonstration match against the legendary Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi, and the double Grand Slam champion spoke in front of the fans present in Cluj-Napoca.
The event in the Cluj-Napoca Multipurpose Hall can be watched live on Pro Arena.
Simona Halep: “I will do everything I can to enjoy some matches again, some victories”
The approximately 9,000 spectators chanted Simona’s name, and she gave an emotional speech. The moment brought tears to Stere Halep, the father of the former WTA leader.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, I have always had a special welcome in Cluj. Today I am here, happy to be present again on a tennis court, present here to feel the love that I have missed these two years. But now I want to talk only about positive things, about the joy of being on the court, of playing tennis. You gave me a lot of strength.
I don’t want it to sound like a withdrawal speech. I’m thinking about a comeback, not a retirement. For sure, I will do everything I can to enjoy some matches again, some victories. And to have you by my side. It’s the most beautiful feeling.
I also want to thank my family, always here to support me. Thank you so much for all your support these past two years. I am talking about these two years, because they were two difficult years. Let’s enjoy together!” – Simona Halep, at the Sports Festival.
Also present at this event are Ion Țiriac, Ilie Năstase, Virginia Ruzici, Horia Tecău, Raluca Olaru (will be chair referee) or Justin Gimelstob (mixed doubles champion at Australian Open 1998 and Roland Garros, both in 1998).
Who are Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf
Andre Agassi, nicknamed The Punisher, began his tennis career in the 1980s and became known not only for his exceptional skills on the court, but also for his unmistakable style of play, characterized by a strong serve return and backhand aggressive.
He has eight Grand Slam titles to his credit, including: Australian Open (1995, 2000), Roland Garros (1999), Wimbledon (1992) and US Open (1994, 1999). Agassi is the first player to do the Golden Slam – that is, win all the Grand Slams and the Olympic gold medal in the same year – as well as the only man to win a career Super Slam – all the Grand Slams plus the gold medal Olympic and ATP Finals, all in the same year.
He was the first player to win all four singles events on three different surfaces (hard, clay and grass) and is still the American who most recently won the French Open (1999) and the Australian Open (2003). He also has 17 Masters titles and was part of the Davis Cup winning teams in 1990, 1992 and 1995.
Agassi reached world No. 1 for the first time in 1995, and returned to No. 1 in 1999, and for the next four years he enjoyed the most successful stage of his career. In 2006, Andre Agassi officially retired from tennis, ending an impressive career.
Steffi Graf is one of the greatest and most influential female tennis players in history, with an impressive record from 1982 to 1999. Known for her aggressive style and exceptional skills, Graf won a total of 22 Grand Slam titles , including each of the four major tournaments.
She achieved the “Golden Slam” in 1988, winning all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in the same year. Steffi Graf retired from tennis in 1999 after holding the number one spot in the WTA rankings for a record 377 weeks.
Steffi Graf continues to be involved in various charitable activities and forms together with Andre Agassi one of the most famous couples in the world of tennis.