Simona Halep got rid of Patrick Mouratoglou. Why won’t he see the Frenchman again in Hong Kong

Simona Halep (33 years old – 869 WTA) will take part in a tournament in the WTA 250 category that will be organized in Hong Kong between October 28 and November 3, 2024.

The athlete from Constanța will not be reunited with her former coach, Frenchman Patrick Mouratoglou (54), because his student withdrew from the competition.

Patrick Mouratoglou will have no one to coach at the Hong Kong Open: Naomi Osaka announced her retirement from the competition

The Hong Kong Open, a tournament in the WTA 250 category, is to be held between October 28 and November 3, 2024, and all Romanian eyes will be on Simona Halep at this competition.

Constanțanca announced her presence at the tournament a month ago, and on this occasion she will try to collect new points in the WTA ranking, which will help her improve her position.

At the Hong Kong Open, Simona Halep could have met the Japanese Naomi Osaka (27 years old – 56 WTA), Patrick Mouratoglou’s new student. Thus, Halep would have automatically met her former coach, namely the one who negatively impacted her career with the doping scandal known to everyone.

But according to the latest information, Naomi Osaka will no longer compete at the Hong Kong Open, so Mourtaoglou will most likely not travel to the competition. Osaka announced her withdrawal due to an injury, but for the sake of the fans she said she will still make the trip to Hong Kong:

I am very sorry that I had to withdraw from the competition and from the rest of this tennis season. I appreciate this tournament and despite the obvious disappointment of not being able to play, I want to assure all my wonderful fans in Hong Kong that I will still be attending the event (no – as a spectator). So I can’t wait to meet you all! At the same time, there is a wonderful range of world-class players coming to the tournament and I take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck,” said Naomi Osaka, quoted by BeinSports.

Which players will be present in the main draw at the Hong Kong Open

Simona Halep is one of the most resounding names at the Hong Kong Open, and the Constantinian will definitely look to win the trophy. And that’s because a triumph would allow her to approach the area of ​​the first 250 players in the world. Halep dreams of returning to the WTA TOP 100, and the Hong Kong Open could help her take an important step towards that goal.

Another important player who will take part in the competition is Danielle Collins (30 years – 9 WTA), who is the number 1 favorite for a triumph. Also present in Hong Kong will be Diana Shnaider (20 years – 16 WTA), number 2 favorite to win the trophy, as well as the Canadian Leylah Fernandez (22 years – 28 WTA), who completes the podium of the main candidates for the title.