Halep’s grand breakthrough

Simona Halep kept telling everybody who would listen: She was a different player. She was stronger mentally. She wanted so much to finally win a Grand Slam title and was sure that, one day, she would.

After three losses in major finals, maybe Halep was trying to convince herself as much as anyone else she actually could do it. Either way, she was right.

Halep added Grand Slam trophy No 1 to her world No 1 ranking, coming back from a set and a break down to beat Sloane Stephens 3-6 6-4 6-1 yesterday and win the French Open championship in a match made up of lengthy points and key momentum swings.

‘‘When I was down a break in the second set,’’ Halep told the crowd afterwards. ‘‘I thought, ‘Everything is gone. I’m going to start to relax and enjoy the match’.’’

The 26-year-old Halep had lost in two previous appearances in a final in Paris, against Maria Sharapova in 2014 and Jelena Ostapenko in 2017. Halep then fell to 0-3 with a trophy on the line at the Australian Open in January, beaten by Caroline Wozniacki.

‘‘I just tried not to repeat the same as last year,’’ Halep said. ‘‘I did everything I could.’’

And when the fourth chance arrived, Halep began slowly, unable to solve Stephens, the 10th-seeded American who won her first Grand Slam title at last year’s US Open.

When Halep ended a 14-stroke point by pushing a backhand wide, Stephens owned the first set. She broke to begin the second set, then held for a 2-0 lead. It appeared she was on her way.

And then, suddenly, everything changed. Stephens started missing. A double-fault here. A forehand into the net there. A backhand wide.

While Stephens temporarily halted her slide, getting to 4-all, Halep used two consecutive powerful forehand winners to hold in the next game. She broke to grab the second set when Stephens sailed a backhand wide, all part of a seven-game run that made it 5-0 in third.

‘‘Not the trophy I wanted,’’ Stephens said, looking at her runnerup plate, ‘‘but it’s still beautiful’’.

When the match ended, Halep dropped her racket at the baseline and covered her face with her hands. Soon enough, she was climbing up into the stands to share a big hug with her coach, Darren Cahill.

He had threatened to stop working with her, saying Halep’s negative body language and attitude were standing in her way.

Perhaps he was correct. This much is certain: Simona Halep is a Grand Slam champion, now and forever.