HALEP DESERVES NO 1 RANKING DESPITE LACK OF MAJOR SUCCESS

Being world’s top-ranked woman player highlights ability over period of time, while a major is played over just two weeks and there is always element of luck of draw, says Graham Caygill

Even the hardest of hearts would have struggled not to be happy for Simona Halep when her victory over Jelena Ostapenko at the China Open on Saturday meant she would be world No 1 for the first time when the WTA rankings were published yesterday.

Tears, cuddling a bouquet shaped as a ‘1’ and lots of smiling were all on show as the Romanian celebrated her climb to the top.

She was so happy she conceded that she struggled to sleep that night as she tried to take in her accomplishment.

That played a part in her laboured performance in Sunday’s final as she lost in straight sets to unseeded Caroline Garcia.

But, even in her moment of joy on Saturday, Halep acknowledged the one sticking point to her coronation at the top of the game – the lack of any grand slam titles in her trophy cabinet. “I have just to restart everything, to start again to play the same and to work harder,” she said.

“And I have a few more dreams in my career.”

Asked during what those were, she added: “I tell you one, only one: to win a grand slam, which you know.”

The Romanian, 26, has played in 32 majors in her career and has not won any of them, with runners-up spots at the French Open this year and in 2014 being as close as she has got.

Indeed, her defeat to Ostapenko at Roland Garros in June is the one that should have been her breakthrough as she won the first set, then led by a break in the second and third sets before capitulating.

She lost the last five games to lose 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to an opponent who had not won a WTA Tour title of any note before.

Consistency is behind Halep leapfrogging Garbine Muguruza at the top.

She has won only one WTA title in 2017, in Madrid in May, but has lost in four other finals, and reached at least the quarter-finals of eight tournaments in total.

She is on 6,175 points, just 40 ahead of Muguruza.

During the year she has had a number of impressive wins over the US Open winner Sloane Stephens, Maria Sharapova, Johanna Konta, Victoria Azarenka and Karolina Pliskova.

But none of them have helped her tick grand slam winner of her achievements list. She is not the first player to become No 1 without a major to her name, and she almost certainly will not be the last.

In the past 10 years Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina, Caroline Wozniacki and Pliskova all spent time at No 1 without ever being a champion at one of the four majors.

One explanation is the dominance of Serena Williams, who has won 23 majors, including the Australian Open this year.

The American would have been still No 1 had she not taken time out from playing this year to become a mother.

Halep has been a permanent fixture in the women’s top 10 since January 2014 so her consistency is unquestionable.

Being around in the Williams era, the luck of the draw, and her own apparent weaknesses in big match situations can all be looked at as causes for being yet to win the proverbial big one.

But, would winning a grand slam trophy be that big a deal? You do not spend almost four years in the top 10 and get to No 1 without having a strong game.

Being No 1 highlights your ability over a period of time, a major is played over just two weeks and there is always an element of luck of the draw.

Rafael Nadal won his 16th grand slam at the US Open last month, but he did not beat any player ranked in the top 20 on his way to winning in New York.

Now, that is not the Spaniard’s fault. You can only beat what is in front of you and he did just that.

But it highlights that just because you won a major does not mean you had to beat the cream of the crop to achieve it.

Halep’s collapse against Ostapenko hinted at a lack of confidence and belief in herself at key moments.

She will hope that becoming the 25th woman to be No 1 since the WTA rankings were launched will help her build belief and kick on and finally join the grand slam winners club in 2018.