PARIS — Already No. 1 in the world, Simona Halep proved she could be a Grand Slam champion, too.
After losing her first three major finals, Halep defeated Sloane Stephens, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, on Saturday to win the French Open and join the ranks of top players who persevered before they gained a Grand Slam singles title.
Jana Novotna, the Czech star, also lost her first three major finals, finally winning Wimbledon in 1998. Kim Clijsters lost her first four major finals before winning the United States Open in 2005.
Clijsters, here in Paris as a television analyst, is among the many who offered encouragement to Halep over the last year as she tried to rebound from her latest Grand Slam disappointments.