French Open Day 14 - Simona Halep – Grand Slam Champion At Last; Can Thiem Topple Nadal?

Simona Halep is a Grand Slam champion at last.

Having lost her previous three finals, Halep finally ended her drought by battling past Sloane Stephens in a captivating contest at Roland Garros. On the Tennis Podcast, Catherine and David pay tribute to her resilience.

Trailing by a set and a break to Stephens, who was looking close to unbeatable, it felt like Halep would fall short once again. So how did she turn it around? Did the quality of Stephens' tennis actually help Halep to play more aggressively? Catherine says that Halep had to become "not afraid to lose".

Halep’s win has been greeted by an outpouring of goodwill from fellow players. What makes her such a popular champion? How might she celebrate? And can she now become a multiple Grand Slam champion?

Elsewhere, David and Catherine look ahead to tomorrow’s men’s final. Thiem is the only man to have beaten Nadal on clay in the past two seasons. But can he possibly do it over five sets in his first Grand Slam final? And is the challenge more physical or mental for Thiem? David and Catherine talk up his chances. But do they think he’s going to win?

There will be daily editions of The Tennis Podcast throughout the French Open, in association with Telegraph Sport. It is presented by Catherine Whitaker (Eurosport) and David Law (BBC 5 Live, BT Sport)

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