Grand slam success Halep's top priority in 2016

Halep's sharp rise in the women's game began in 2014 as she reached the latter stages of the first three grand slam tournaments – including a run to the final of the French Open.

World number two Simona Halep

Simona Halep hopes working with new coach Darren Cahill can help her take the next step in her career and win a grand slam in 2016.

Halep's sharp rise in the women's game began in 2014 as she reached the latter stages of the first three grand slam tournaments – including a run to the final of the French Open.

However, she has never tasted success on the big stage – losing to Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros – and 2015 was no different as she fell at the Australian Open quarter-final stage and made the last four at the US Open.

To try and improve her form, Halep has employed Cahill on a full-time basis after working together in the last six months.

"We have this [a grand slam] in our minds, it's our goal," she told The Courier Mail . "It's really important to win a grand slam but I don't want to put pressure on this. He knows that it's my goal in this life. I think he can help me to win a grand slam but it also depends on me. I think we are ready to do that but still we have to work a lot and if it comes, we will be very happy for both of us."

Halep begins her Australian Open preparation at the Brisbane International this week. The world number two has been given a bye in the first round.