Simona Halep is a two-time Grand Slam champion—and a student of the sport.
The former world No. 1 said she's learned to make "natural" changes to her approach working with new coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
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"We changed many things, but we changed them very natural. I didn't feel that I'm forced where I didn't feel that it's tough to change," Halep told the media in Madrid. "It came very natural.
"Now I feel like I have been forever like that. It's a nice atmosphere, nice energy, good energy, actually, and he's supporting me a lot, because I'm an emotional person, so he knows how to talk to me, how to put, you know, to talk if we have a situation that we have to solve. So until now, everything is good."
In their first tournament together, Halep has not surrendered a set knocking off world No. 2 Paula Badosa and 14th-seeded Coco Gauff in succession to improve her 2022 record vs. seeds to 7-1.
Mouratoglou, a former long-time member of Gauff's coaching team, was in Halep's box today as she raced through five straight games to stop the American teenager.
Afterward, Halep said open communication has been key to her success in her first tournament with Mouratoglou.
"I'm very introverted in general, and, yeah, I don't trust easy. I need to feel comfortable," Halep said. "With him, I felt comfortable, and I felt like he really appreciates my game, the way I am.
"It was easy to communicate. It was easy to explain what I'm going through during the matches, before the matches, after the matches.
"So we talked very natural and very open, so this way he could help me straightaway."
Photo credit: Patrick Mouratoglou Instagram