At the biggest events, particularly the majors, a portion of the conversation is always reserved for discussing the list of legitimate dark horse contenders for the title.  In women’s tennis, that list of dark horses tends to contain mainstays near the top, like Agnieszka Radwanska, former marquee players on the comeback trail like Ana Ivanovic, and those considered the most promising of the next generation of players, such as Eugenie Bouchard and Sloane Stephens.  While valid cases can be made for all of those individuals, perhaps one of the strongest dark horse contenders at any event in which she is entered is Simona Halep, a name that still too few know but should get used to hearing.

There is plenty to like about the 22-year-old Romanian, beginning with her steady progression up the rankings on the back of relatively consistent results.  Halep’s breakthrough season came last year when she not only secured her first WTA title in Nürnberg but went on to win five more.  She has backed that up in 2014, making her first major quarterfinal appearance at the Australian Open, bagging the title in Doha, reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells, and most recently advancing to the final of Madrid last week.  Halep has risen to world No. 5 and is projected to move up to No. 4 next week, just in time for naming the seeds at Roland Garros.

Halep’s rise in the WTA has not come courtesy of many lucky breaks.  She has earned some quality wins to get to where she is today.  The Romanian has proved effective at handling the craftiness and counterpunching skills of Radwanska and Angelique Kerber, as well as the ability to both absorb and redirect power to score victories over Ivanovic, Petra Kvitova, and Sabine Lisicki in Madrid. As many saw this past Sunday, she even troubled Maria Sharapova there for a time.

One of the keys to Halep’s success against these and other players stems from her own style.  As a fan of Roger Federer and Justine Henin, it is hardly surprising that she has developed an all-court game that continues to pay dividends.  She is growing more comfortable in the forecourt and owns a decent serve capable of inflicting damage.  Additionally, while she has a slight frame and only stands at 5’6”, Halep possesses a deceptive amount of pop on her groundstrokes. When coupled with her exceptional foot speed and subsequent court coverage, that allows her to control her share of the baseline rallies against even the most powerful ball-strikers in the sport.

Of course, having the necessary tools means little without the mental toughness to go with them.  That is another area in which Halep has made great strides.  She remains a colorful character, who can delve into conversations with herself when things are not going quite according to plan, but she no longer succumbs to extended bouts of negativity.  She also seems more at ease on the big occasions.  Presumably, her added comfort level derives from the fact that her ascent in the game has come via a steady climb rather than a trajectory full of peaks and valleys.  It is an ascent that looks likely to continue and may one day secure her the label of a tournament favorite.

For now, however, Halep remains a dark horse contender. After she withdrew from Rome with a left abdominal injury, it is hard to gauge just how much it is fair to expect from her at Roland Garros.  Even if the injury prevents her from shining her brightest in the French capital, keep her on the tennis radar.  Halep has more than earned her dues, and she appears to be poised to achieve greater things in the months to come.