Although she withdrew from the tournament in Tokyo due to a leg injury, Romania’s tennis star Simona Halep would like to end 2016 on the third place in WTA ranking of the best women's tennis players in the world. Moreover, she aims to become the world’s number one in the following years.

Halep, 24, left to Asia on Friday, where she will participate in the Wuhan Open tournament to be organised next week.

"I want to finish in the top three, but I don’t know if this will happen, I have to do well in these three tournaments, and then we’ll see. My health condition is very good now, I'm fine. I'm confident, and I hope to play as good as possible," Halep said before leaving, reports local Hotnews.ro.

She also stated that one of her future objectives is to become world’s number one. "I don’t know if this will happen, I have to win a Grand Slam first. I’m working for this, and I hope to get there one day."

Halep will also play in the China Open tournament, organised between October 1 and October 9, and the WTA Finals in Singapore, which will take place from October 23 to October 30.

Halep, who is coached by Darrin Cahill, won three WTA singles titles this year, in Montreal, Bucharest, and Madrid. She currently ranks fifth in the WTA rankings.

WTA Tennis: Romania’s Simona Halep is back to her best

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com