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Simona Halep and her ex-coach Darren Cahill were recently seen together during a practice session at the Miami Open as she returns to the WTA tour following her 18-month absence.
Cahill is currently coaching Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner, with the duo winning the Australian Open together in January.
On Tuesday, a fan account named “Romanian Tennis” on X (formerly Twitter) posted an image of Cahill and Halep during a practice session at the Miami Open.
Simona Halep is set to compete at the 2024 Miami Open, which will begin on March 19 and conclude on March 31, after accepting a wild-card entry. The two-time Grand Slam champion will face Paula Badosa in her opening match on Tuesday.
Cahill has coached Halep in two separate spells. The first was from 2016 to 2018, during which she achieved two year-end World No. 1 finishes and won her first Grand Slam at the 2018 French Open. Their second spell together was from 2019 to 2021, during which they secured victories at the 2020 Dubai Tennis Championships and the 2020 Italian Open.
“I could not be happier to see Simona Halep playing in Miami” - Darren Cahill
Darren Cahill recently expressed his joy regarding Simona Halep's return to the WTA tour following her doping ban, stating that he couldn't be happier.
In an interview with Sky Sports Tennis, the Aussie mentioned that Halep had endured 18 months of torment and expressed confidence in her professionalism. He also stated that she would not intentionally take any banned substances.
"To me it's been 18 months of torture. I've always believed in her. I've always believed she would never deliberately or knowingly take anything that was wrong or banned," Darren Cahill said
Halep, whose ban was reduced from four years to nine months, will compete at the Miami Open as she has already served her suspension since being banned after the 2022 US Open.
Cahill also expressed his pride in the way she has handled herself throughout the period, adding that he is thrilled that she will feature in the Miami Open.
"That came through when they went to CAS (The Court of Arbitration for Sport) and the truth came out so I know she's been through a tough moment and a tough period of 18 months and I'm super proud of the way she's handled herself and the way that she's carried herself throughout this entire time. I could not be happier to see her playing in Miami," he added.
