Brands That Have Invested In Romanian Tennis Star Simona Halep

Simona Halep has won multiple grand slams but the sponsorship game has been tough for her.  Coming from Romania, a small country with less than 20 million in population has also presented Halep with some challenges attracting sponsors.  She is incredibly popular in Romania but her brand doesn’t get a lot of traction outside her country.

In Romania, Simona Halep is compared to gymnast Nadia Comaneci, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, and first gymnast to score a perfect 10.0 in the Olympic Games.  Halep has used her tennis earnings to build a business empire in her country.

Nike

Halep has an apparel and shoe deal with Nike since 2018.  The deal is reportedly worth $2 million a year.  Halep was previously with Adidas for four years.

Halep left Adidas when she was the number one tennis player in the world hoping to land a deal with another sponsor but she couldn’t find one better than what Adidas had offered. When she returned to Adidas, Adidas had exhausted its budget with other tennis players and could not accommodate the Romanian star in its line up. Halep wore unbranded apparel after she was dropped by Adidas which led to jokes and memes on social media.

Wilson

Halep uses Wilson racquets on the court. Her current racquet is the Wilson Blade 98.  Wilson has been the racquet of choice for many successful tennis players including Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.

Hublot

Hublot is a Swiss luxury watchmaker is a part of LVMH.  Hublot also sponsors tennis stars Borna Coric and Karolina Pliskova.

Halep’s Business Ventures

In 2017 Simona Halep bought properties in Brasov, one of Romania’s major cities, and in  Poiana Brasov, one of Romania’s most popular ski resorts.

Ski Resorts

The Drachenhaus pension, a four-star establishment located in the ski resort Poiana Brasov has 24 rooms and a view over the Postavaru Massif. Halep trains there in winter.

Drachenhaus Hotel

Halep also owns the Drachenhaus hotel in Brasov, in the city’s historic center.

Seaside Properties

Simona Halep’ has invested in properties on the Romanian seaside. Halep and her family own several buildings in Constanta,. Recently, she invested in a hotel that is currently being built in the northern area of the seaside resort of Mamaia.

Boutique Hotel

In 2017 Simona Halep opened a cafe, which she named using her initials, SH. A year later, she announced she would close down her cafe to build a boutique hotel.

Charitable Projects

In 2017, Halep sponsored an ice hockey team that participated in the juniors’ competition in Bucharest. The girls’ team competed under the name ‘Simona Halep’s team’, and managed a draw when playing against the boys’ team.