Once dubbed by a Romanian journalist as “without a doubt the biggest sports star in Romania,” Halep consistently out-performed her 5-foot-6 frame on the WTA tour for more than a decade. Bogdan said that “heart,” and the ability to perserve, were the two things about Halep that she felt most spoke to Romanians writ large, just the 65th-most populus country in the world.
“Trust me, we didn’t have the great facilities when we started to play tennis, and I think she really showed us to play with the heart, and to really work hard for what we want to achieve,” Bogdan added.
Bogdan said she was “grateful” to be by Halep’s side for her penultimate match, a 7-6(5), 6-1 loss in the first round of the doubles draw at the WTA 250. Result aside, the world No. 120 said it was an experienced she’d cherish.
