NEW YORK — Second-ranked Simona Halep says she meant it when she told Serena Williams after their match last weekend that she hopes the American completes the Grand Slam.
Halep's comment during the trophy ceremony at Cincinnati raised some eyebrows because of the implications: If Williams wins the U.S. Open, that means Halep doesn't.
The Romanian said Saturday that of course if the two meet in the final at Flushing Meadows, she will want to defeat Williams. But, Halep says, "If I will not be in the finals, I want her to win."
The top-ranked men, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, have no such conflicts, and both said Saturday they're rooting for Williams to make history at the U.