Halep aware of 'risk' of starting season without coach

Simona Halep feels she may benefit from doing her own thing rather than appoint a new coach without Darren Cahill in her corner.

Published : Jan 07, 2019 01:10 IST

World number one Simona Halep starts her 2019 season without coach Darren Cahill.
World number one Simona Halep starts her 2019 season without coach Darren Cahill.
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World number one Simona Halep starts her 2019 season without coach Darren Cahill.

Simona Halep knows she has taken a "risk" to start the season without a coach but wants to "chill" and "go with the flow" after an emotional 2018.

Halep plans to go solo for at least a few months after long-time coach Darren Cahill took a year-long hiatus for family reasons. The world number one will start her 2019 campaign at the Sydney International after recovering from a back injury and says she is happy to go it alone - for the time being at least.

"The situation is that for the next three to four months, I don't want to take the coach," Halep told WTA Insider . "I'm not thinking about that. I just go with the flow and I'll see how it works, kind of, alone."

Halep said of Cahill's decision to take a break: "He took the decision because of the family and the family comes first always. I was not disappointed or upset, I fully understood. We have a very good relationship.

"We talk most of the days. I asked for advice and he gave it to me. We talked during the off-season as well. It's not the same of course, because he's not my coach anymore. But we are great friends and that is the most important.

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"The last four years were with Darren and they were the best four years. I can say it's tough without him. I have helping me the [Romanian] Fed Cup captain [Florin Segarceanu], but he's not my coach. He just came to be around." 

She added: "I just want to chill. I had enough pressure, I had enough tension during these years. Now I feel like I don't want to commit to anyone because when you take a coach you have to commit to that person and you want to do the best for him and the team. 

"So I need to be chilled for a few months, a few weeks, because last year was a tough year, emotional stuff. I feel better if I stay like this. It''s my decision and I don't know if it's the best, but I took the risk to do that."

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