"Stepped into an academy for the 1st time, lucky me that I came to the best one" - Simona Halep on her visit to the Mouratoglou Academy 

Simona Halep recently paid a visit to the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, which is run by Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Halep shared pictures of her visit to the tennis center and said it was the first academy she had ever stepped into.

The two-time Grand Slam champion also thanked the staff for giving her such a warm welcome.

"This week I stepped into an academy for the first time. Lucky me that I came to the best one. Everyone at the Mouratoglou Academy puts their heart and soul into it every single day! Thanks to everyone for welcoming me in such a warm way. I felt like I had been here forever," tweeted Halep.

Located in Nice, France, the academy was founded by renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou in 1996. It is considered one of the best tennis academies in the world and consists of 34 courts, an indoor and outdoor swimming pool, well-equiped gyms, fitness rooms, and a medical center.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, Coco Gauff and Alexei Popyrin are some of the biggest names to have honed their skills at the academy.

After diappointing campaign in Qatar, Simona Halep will look to bounce back in Indian Wells

Simona Halep at the Qatar Open 2022

Simona Halep has blown hot and cold this season. She won the Melbourne Summer Set at the start of the year, marking her first title since the Italian Open in 2020.

She advanced to the last 16 at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by France's Alize Cornet.

The 30-year-old then traveled to the Middle East to compete at the Dubai Tennis Championships. She advanced to the semifinals before losing to Jelena Ostapenko in three sets. Halep then crashed out in the first round in Qatar, losing to Caroline Garcia.

She will now be looking to bounce back when she competes in Indian Wells. The WTA 1000 event kicks off next week. The Romanian is a former champion in the Californian desert, having won the title in 2015.