It is a risky business to second-guess the decisions and motivations of a tennis player, since only that player knows how he or she is truly feeling.  But that does not stop people from doing it, and there are apt to be a number of Simona Halep fans seriously concerned about the state of the Romanian's game and Halep herself.  She is in the midst of a slump that has included both bad losses and injury struggles, and questions are starting to be asked as to whether this is simply a temporary hurdle in her path or part of a troubling trend that could have dismal ramifications for her as the season progresses.

The current No. 3 was probably hopeful of building on her accomplishments from 2015, which in most respects was a great season.  She reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and went one better in New York.  Halep captured her first Premier Mandatory title at Indian Wells, backed it up with a semifinal showing in Miami, and also reached back-to-back finals in Canada and Cincinnati in the summer.  Not everything came up roses for her, however.  She suffered early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and, after battling injuries in the back half of 2015, appeared to be running on fumes at the WTA Championships.

Halep's limp to the finish line last year might have been forgotten with the dawning of a new season, but things seem to have gone from bad to worse for the Romanian in 2016.  An Achilles issue kept her out of Brisbane, she lost in the first round of Melbourne, she split her matches in Fed Cup play, and then she was denied the chance to defend her Dubai title earlier this week when Ana Ivanovic ousted her in her opening match.

As frustrating as those results are, however, arguably the more concerning aspect is that the Romanian opted to play those events in the first place.  The Achilles injury was a carryover from 2015, as is the ankle issue that continues to plague her.  She has also spent considerable time battling stomach, nose, and ear infections, which doctors advised her surgery would correct.  Halep had initially planned to undergo the surgery this month in lieu of competing in the Fed Cup, Dubai, and Doha, but she changed her mind at the last minute after doctors told her she was well enough to postpone the surgery if she chose to do so. 

To some degree, it is easy to see why Halep has made the decisions that she has in 2016, and it is not just because nobody likes having surgery.  No player wants to miss a major.  When her compatriots were too injured to compete, it was natural she would want to do what she could to help Romania's chances of advancing in the Fed Cup.  And with the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova absent from Dubai, Halep could be forgiven for wanting to try and take advantage of the situation, particularly given that she was the defending champion there. 

But as understandable and even admirable as her motivation may have been, it seems to be short-sighted.  For months now, her body has been telling her that it needs time to recuperate, but Halep keeps denying that need.  With so much to defend in the upcoming spring and opportunities to gain ground into the summer, it seems surprising that she would not cut her losses now by having the surgery in February rather than at a much busier time later in the season.  There is the fact that these losses, even if primarily chalked up to physical setbacks, take a mental toll and make her appear more vulnerable to the rest of the field as well.  And lastly, she is not putting herself in the best position to make headway with Darren Cahill.  Cahill helped boost Halep's results in 2015, and hiring him as her official coach for 2016 was brilliant on her part.  But no coach, no matter how qualified, can help a player reach her maximum potential if that player is not physically prepared to compete at her best.

At the end of the day, it is too soon to panic about Halep.  She has achieved too much already to write her off as a player destined for a downward spiral.  But she does need to take a hard look at the current state of her health and subsequently her game.  If she continues on her present course, it is likely only more losses and disappointment will follow.  But if she instead follows the example of players like Sharapova and Williams by forgoing events in the immediate future to be in a better position to capitalize on the more important tournaments later, there is no reason she cannot return to her top form and be in the hunt once again.