New York, Mar 7 (IANS): Former world No. 1 Simona Halep hired new coach France's Morgan Bourbon ahead of Indian Wells and Miami Open tournaments, confirmed Romania tennis in a statement.

"Simona Halep will be with a new coach while playing in the USA. She will be working with Morgan Bourbon from the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy," the Romania tennis federation wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

The 30-year-old Romanian has secured the services of Morgan Bourbon, who will accompany her to the Indian Wells and Miami open tournaments. The Frenchman is part of Patrick Mouratoglou's tennis academy.

Former Wimbledon champion (2019) enjoyed a successful long-term coaching partnership with Australia's Darren Cahill but the two went their separate ways last year. Halep was then working with Daniel Dobre and Adrian Marcu.

After the triumph at the start of the season in Melbourne, Halep was not really able to maintain her good form. Halep did reach the Round of 16 at the Australian Open and the semi-finals in Dubai but suffered a surprising first-round defeat at the WTA 1000 event in Doha at the end of February.

Halep revealed she didn't fire Dobre and Marcu because she wanted a replacement but rather because she wanted to be more on her own.

"I do not have a coach, I haven't talked to any coach these days, and at the moment I don't want to take a coach," Halep was quoted as saying by Treizecizero.ro in February.