Simona Halep has enjoyed an outstanding 2018 season, highlighted by her maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, but a back injury which forced her to retire from her first-round match at the China Open could develop into a long-term problem.
The 27-year-old has spent 40 weeks in the top spot this year, the position solidified by her Shenzhen Open, Roland Garros and Rogers Cup titles, as well as her appearances in the finals of the Australian Open, Internazionali BNL d’Italia and the Western & Southern Open.