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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 29, 2017

WTA Year-End World No. 1 Award

Kallang, Singapore

WTA Year-End World No. 1 Award

Presented by Dubai Duty Free

NICK McCARVEL: Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon, and thank you all for attending this special presentation. It's nice to see a lot of familiar faces in the room.

We're here to honor the WTA's Year-End World No. 1 singles player, an award presented by Dubai Duty Free, a proud sponsor of the WTA.

Please join me in welcoming a special guest first to the stage. She's here to help with our ceremony. The president of the WTA, Micky Lawler.

(Applause.)

NICK McCARVEL: Now, also here onstage with myself and with Micky, we have the beautiful WTA Year-End World No. 1 singles trophy presented by Dubai Duty Free. Now, each diamond on the trophy represents a former WTA World No. 1 player.

In addition, we are proud to present the Tiffany & Co. 2017 World No. 1 ring from the iconic Tiffany T collection.

Now, our WTA Year-End World No. 1 hoisted her 15th trophy in Madrid this year, and she also reached four other finals, including in Rome, Cincinnati, and Beijing, as well as finishing as runner-up at Roland Garros and the French Open.

She was making her fourth consecutive appearance here at the WTA Finals in Singapore and won 45 singles matches in total this year. She is our 13th Year-End No. 1 on the WTA. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, from Romania, Simona Halep.

(Applause.)

NICK McCARVEL: Simona, welcome, and congratulations. Now, after a season of a lot of hard work and a lot of success for you, how good does it feel to be standing here as Year-End No. 1?

SIMONA HALEP: Well, thank you for the beautiful words. Actually, I'm really excited to be here and nervous, as you see. It's an honor to be the 13th, actually, my lucky number, No. 1 in the world at end of the year. So it's a beautiful feeling. Of course, all the work I have done this year now has paid off.

NICK McCARVEL: And the year, obviously for all players, has a lot of ups and downs, but what are you most proud of, the challenges that you came through this year, reached that No. 1 ranking earlier this month, and now get to end the season as such?

SIMONA HALEP: Yeah, I can say I had two difficult moments this year, one at the beginning of the year when I was injured about three months, I couldn't play, and then I came back stronger, I can say; and of course the final in French Open, I was really disappointed and very sad about that match.

As we know, I came back stronger, as well, and I could just play better and better and to be No. 1 in the world in the end of the year.

NICK McCARVEL: I have to know, 13 is usually an unlucky number. So why is it a lucky number for you?

SIMONA HALEP: Everything is going well for me when it's about 13.

NICK McCARVEL: Very good. Another round of applause for Simona Halep being here with us today.

Now, it's time to see our Tiffany T World No. 1 ring. Micky Lawler is going to help present it to Simona.

You have to unwrap that Tiffany & Co. box and try on the ring. Let's hope it fits, right?

SIMONA HALEP: I'm not getting engaged. (Smiling.) I'm getting engaged with tennis.

(Applause.)

NICK McCARVEL: I think it looks pretty good, Simona.

SIMONA HALEP: It's very nice. It's a beautiful ring. Thank you.

NICK McCARVEL: Now, Micky, it's time to present, on behalf of Dubai Duty Free, the 2017 WTA Year-End No. 1 singles trophy to Simona Halep.

All right. We are going to have time for a lot more photos in just a few minutes, but Micky, thank you for being here. Simona, thank you.

That's the end of our presentation, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for being here. We will have photo call and then do a short press conference.

Once again, congratulations from Dubai Duty Free and from Tiffany's to Simona Halep. Let's hear it for our Year-End World No. 1.

(Applause.)

(Photo Op.)

THE MODERATOR: We will start the press conference in English first, first questions for Simona.

Q. If you had to use one word to describe your journey, what would it be?
SIMONA HALEP: To describe myself?

Q. The journey to No. 1.
SIMONA HALEP: Can I use two words? Difficult and amazing.

Q. So what's your first thoughts when you know that you are confirmed Year-End No. 1?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I can say that it's a great feeling that I can finish the year No. 1. Of course, the best moment I can say was on court when I won against Ostapenko in Beijing. But also, it's more special to finish the year, as we can see that less players finished the No. 1 in the world the year, so it's more special and I think more difficult to do that.

Q. So in the last press conference you said it's like a marathon and you had a lot of pressure. Can you explain to us what kind the pressure is.
SIMONA HALEP: Well, now I don't feel any pressure, because the season is finished, but I can imagine that it's going to be a little bit more difficult. I have to work harder to stay there, but in my mind now is just to enjoy the moment and we will see.

I touched everything I wanted about my dream in this way, because I have many others. But I just want to be relaxed, to enjoy tennis more, and to give my best every time I go on court. I think this is everything I can ask from myself.

Q. What do you think the attention will be like at home? And how do you think it will have changed now that you'll be No. 1 for the duration of your offseason?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I think the big change was when I played first time a final in French Open, so everything changed back then.

Now I don't believe that it's gonna be something different. Of course it's huge what I did now for our country. It's small country, and I'm the first female player who has done this.

Of course maybe I will have some events, extra events, but I will enjoy. It's nice. It's the best moment of my career, so I cannot complain (smiling).

Q. About a month ago you kind of didn't think that this was going to happen, either the No. 1 or the Year-End No. 1. So talk about how it feels now. And have you had the time to process from Beijing to now, being Year-End No. 1?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, yeah, I cannot say that I stopped believing that I can reach the No. 1 this year, because I had many chances, but of course I was a little bit disappointed after those moments that I had during the year.

It's a great feeling. Virginia, my manager, told me that I don't realize yet what I have done, but, you know, it's a happiness that I have inside and one of my dreams came true. So I have just to be happy, to smile, and enjoy life.

Q. You told us sometime after the French Open that you still had thoughts about that match. Does that go a little way to taking those thoughts away now?
SIMONA HALEP: They are away now, far (waving). This is more important what is happening now than that. But of course my new dream is to win a Grand Slam.

Q. Can you say what this year has taught you about yourself?
SIMONA HALEP: What is that?

Q. What this year, the season, has taught you about yourself.
SIMONA HALEP: Actually, this year I think I had many ups and downs. But starting Stuttgart I was consistent, in my opinion. It was a tough one. Of course every week I went back on court, working. Even if in US Open I lost in first round, I went back on court and I tried to improve in my game, which I did.

I'm really happy that I could stay constant, which is the best thing, I think, for a player. And also that I'm fit. I have no problems now, no injuries. So I'm just trying to make the offseason better and to start the next year better.

Q. Also, is there going to be any changes, additions to your coaching?
SIMONA HALEP: No. Everything will be the same.

Q. Presuming you're going to take a vacation, what's a favorite Simona Halep vacation look like? And then, do you actually sit and make goals for next year? If so, what might they be?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, yeah, I love vacations. I have already booked something, but I'm not going to tell where (smiling).

Q. Not where but, like, beach or...
SIMONA HALEP: It's in the middle, about 15, 20 degrees. I cannot ski, obviously. Obviously it's not for the beach.

But I go home first, because every time I finish a tournament or a season I go home. I like to be home.

And, yes, after the holiday, I will sit down and I will set my new goals. But the biggest one is the Grand Slam. So for this I'm working every year.

Q. Roger Federer talked about you...
SIMONA HALEP: I saw.

Q. ...being No. 1. Curious what your thoughts about that were.
SIMONA HALEP: Very nice. I can say I felt really, really proud of myself that Roger Federer could talk about me like that. So I thank him for the nice words. Of course, everyone knows that is one of my models.

Q. Since Roger talked about you, could you possibly talk about what your thoughts are on the season that Roger and Rafa had so many years into this and everything?
SIMONA HALEP: Incredible, in my opinion. What they are doing, it's crazy good.

It's fantastic that Roger could come back after the knee surgery and all the stuff that he had, and his backhand is crazy good now.

I can learn from him that at any age you can still learn something in tennis, even if he was perfect before. He showed us that if you believe and if you work hard, you can get better. So there is no limit, in my opinion, about Roger.

Q. And Rafa?
SIMONA HALEP: Rafa, I always love the way he's on court. Every match that he wins is like first match of his life and the last one. So this is impressive.

The way that he's not giving up during the matches, he fights till the end. Doesn't matter the score. I saw many matches with him, and I really appreciate his effort.

Q. Taking into account that you'll be starting the new season as No. 1 and also with the return...
SIMONA HALEP: Sounds good.

Q. ...of players like Serena, Maria, Petra, maybe Vika, as well, what kind of challenges do you foresee in the coming season, both old and new?
SIMONA HALEP: Well, I would like to think about this after the holiday, first. But, yeah, every tournament and every week, every day I can say is going to be a big challenge, starting now.

I cannot be stressed about that. I just want to work harder to get better, because I need to do that, and we will see what is gonna happen. I mean, in my opinion, it's great what I have done until now, so I just want to make it like to be there more, more time, and a Grand Slam.

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