PARIS — Simona Halep threw her racket on the red clay, its redemptive work done for the day, and thrust her arms high overhead as she beamed on a court that has brought her plenty of heartache.
In the stands, Darren Cahill, Halep’s normally pulled-together coach, was unsuccessfully fighting back tears. High up in the commentary booth, Chris Evert, a seven-time French Open champion, was tearing up, too, well aware of how it feels to have a Grand Slam drought come to a happy end.
Already No. 1, Halep proved on Saturday that she could win the big one, too.