The 4th best-paid athlete in the world in 2018, according to Forbes magazine, Romanian Simona Halep is not yet finished with her tennis career; she already has the makings of a great businesswoman. She has been patiently building her business for the past five years.
Don’t be fooled by appearances: Simona Halep may have had a long period of doubt and was on the verge of retirement at the end of 2021, but she is back at the highest level after winning the Toronto Masters 1000 (2022). Will this delay her complete transformation into a businesswoman by a few years?
A pronounced interest in real estate
Her first investments date back to 2017 when she opened an establishment in her hometown of Constanta, a historic Black Sea port city. The SH Café was a milestone in her business career: a cozy restaurant that valued the healthy cuisine she loves.
A year later, however, she decided to end the adventure, not so much because of the café’s financial health but because of a desire to turn to the tourist real estate business. So, in 2018, she invested in two hotels located in the heart of the popular ski area of Poiana Brașov.
Ion Tiriac’s influence
Since then, the player has invested 1.5 million Euros in an establishment located in the seaside resort of Mamaia and inaugurated in 2021. It is difficult not to see in these choices the influence of one of her mentors, Ion Tiriac. The Romanian sports magnate (former player, star coach, tournament director, and wise businessman) has been advising the player for several years, on and off the court.
