When Australian coach Darren Cahill told his family he would take a year off from working with Simona Halep to spend more time at home, his daughter started crying.
“I thought she was really happy, but she was pissed that I was leaving Simona. That's what she means to my family,” Cahill told reporters on Monday. “We're friends. She's really a part of my family.”
After taking a break from travelling with the Romanian last year, Cahill is officially back in Halep’s camp, resuming his coaching duties alongside new addition Artemon Apostu-Efremov.
Their reunion is already off to a good start with Halep through to the Australian Open quarterfinals, where she takes on Anett Kontaveit on Wednesday.
Apostu-Efremov, or Arte, as Halep and Cahill refer to him, has known the former world No.1 since she was a teenager, and spent five years coaching her compatriot and occasional doubles partner Irina-Camelia Begu.
“With Arte, I have decided that I need the new voice in my team,” said Halep, who parted ways with Daniel Dobre end of last season, after lifting the Wimbledon title under his guidance in July.
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“Arte can travel a lot. So he will be by my side most of the tournaments, also where Darren cannot come. I think now it's a good team around me. I feel happy that it's something new here. I hope in good spirits.”
Following a strong training block in Dubai, Halep began 2020 with a renewed sense of purpose and set herself some high targets, like adding to her Grand Slam title tally of two, and clinching an Olympic medal for Romania. To maximise her chances at the Tokyo Games, the 28-year-old plans on competing in singles, doubles with Begu, and mixed doubles with Horia Tecau.
The world No.4 told reporters in Adelaide prior to the Australian Open that “getting stronger” was a big focus for her during the offseason, so she spent more time in the gym at the behest of her returning coach Cahill.
“You want me to be honest what Darren said? That I'm getting older and I need to work more and to get strength to my legs, because the bones need actually more strength. So I'm starting to work more and more in the gym,” Halep said with a laugh.
Halep and Cahill enjoy a lot of banter, and they have forged a powerful connection since they first started working together in 2015. Halep started her Aussie summer by pledging to donate funds every time she gave Cahill a hard time during her matches.
Joining such a tight-knit team might not be an easy thing, but Arte feels comfortable on Team Halep, working alongside Cahill.
“It helped a lot that we had previous, let's say, relation. Tennis in Romania, it's not that big, so we kind of know each other. We crossed paths during our careers, either players or coaches,” he says.
“The transition was not that difficult. Also it helps a lot that Darren is very relaxed and they communicate very good, and also Simona enjoys a lot playing, which I really do, as well. So, like, from her first practice we started playing and we felt good with each other.”
Last season, Halep reiterated multiple times that she was taking a “chilled” approach to 2019, after years of pushing herself to her limits to maintain her position among the game’s elite and to finally clinch a maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. With Cahill back in the fold, does he see anything differently in his charge?
“As far as I'm concerned, the relationship is exactly the same. She's still as stressed on the court as she always is, but she's learning ways to deal with it and to handle it,” he says.
Against Elise Mertens in the fourth round on Monday, Halep squandered a double-break lead in the second set but still came through the match in straight sets over the Belgian.
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“Arte and I spoke after that 4-All game that second set after letting two breaks slip and then having chances in the 4-3 game, got back to 4-All, had breakpoints in the 4-All game, missed them. One ball I think was a challenge on the side of the line. The old Simona would have let that game go, but she refused to give up in that game,” Cahill explains.
“That's what I'm most proud of is that fight that she's showing when a few things go against her. That's been the big change in her I have seen over the last two or three years.”
That fighting spirit will sure come in handy for Halep, who is looking to reach the semifinals in Melbourne for a second time in three years.
Halep leads Kontaveit 2-0 head-to-head, but they haven't faced off since 2017.
"She's incredibly consistent. She's playing so well, moving so well, and I have definitely got to be consistent but try and play my game and be aggressive," said the Estonian, looking ahead to the challenge Halep will pose on Wednesday.