"Like always... Maria Sharapova does that all the time" - When Simona Halep threw shade after losing in Russian's Slam comeback after drugs ban

Simona Halep once opened up about her emotions after losing to Maria Sharapova in the first round of the 2017 US Open. This was the year the latter had returned from a doping suspension.

Halep and Sharapova faced off in the opening round at Flushing Meadows that year, marking their seventh career meeting. Despite a strong performance in the second set, luck wasn’t on the Romanian’s side as she lost 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Sharapova took a break and left the court before the start of the third set, which understandably upset Simona Halep. Halep later expressed her frustrations in a conversation with the media, saying:

"Like always. I'm used. When I play against her, she does that all the time. So I didn't think about that. It's her style and I don't comment."

The two-time Grand Slam champion then analyzed how her opponent played and pointed out the areas where Sharapova was better. She also mentioned that the Russian’s time away from the Tour for a few months helped her regain her form.

"Well, I knew how she's playing. I expected her to hit everything because physically I think if we stay in the big rallies, I'm a little bit stronger because I play every day. She was out for a few months. That's the reason," Simona Halep said.

The Romanian added:

"But she was very strong today. She hit everything. Some balls were really well, really good, and I couldn't even touch them. For first round, was tough one, for sure. When you get to the tournament with some matches before, it's much easier. You feel the rhythm, you feel everything. But today was a little bit tougher."

The win was surprising for Maria Sharapova, who had tested positive for the banned drug meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. She returned to the Tour in April and received a wildcard entry into the US Open, despite having played just one hardcourt tuneup match due to a forearm injury.

A look into Simona Halep & Maria Sharapova's H2H record

Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova pictured at the 2017 US Open | Image Source: Getty

Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova were no strangers to each other on the court, as they had faced off a total of nine times on the WTA Tour.

Halep and Sharapova’s first-ever meeting took place at the 2012 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where the latter came out on top. She then went on to win their encounters in Beijing (2012), Madrid (2014), the French Open (2014), Cincinnati (2014), the WTA Finals (2015), and the US Open (2017).

The Romanian then won their next two encounters in Beijing (2017) and Rome (2018). Hence, their head-to-head record stands at 7-2 in Sharapova's favor.