Emma Raducanu makes massive Transylvania Open pledge after reaching quarter-finals

Emma Raducanu: British teen wins US Open

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Emma Raducanu has committed to playing the Transylvania Open for the rest of her career, according to the tournament director. The recent US Open champion is into the quarter-final, where she will face fellow teenager Marta Kostyuk, and could set up a meeting with idol Simona Halep in the semis. Raducanu has been enjoying her time competing in Romania – the country her father hails from – and he has travelled to Cluj-Napoca with her this week.

The Transylvania Open is just Raducanu’s second tournament since making history at the US Open as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam.

After skyrocketing from a then-career high of world No 150 straight into the top 25, the teenage sensation was unable to repeat her success in Indian Wells when she returned to the match court, losing to the world No 100.

The Bromley local has found her form once again though in Transylvania, scoring her first-ever WTA Tour match win against world No 124 Polona Hercog before beating Ana Bogdan in straight sets to reach the last eight.

It’s the first time Raducanu has competed in her father’s home country of Romania, and she seems to be enjoying it so much she has made a commitment to the WTA 250 event.

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Tournament director Patrick Ciorcila said the world No 23 told him she would play every edition of the Transylvania Open – a brand new tournament that was held over summer on clay courts, before moving to an indoor hard surface for autumn.

“I talked to her and her father, they are very attached to Romania, they really wanted to come here, and they feel very good,” he said, per Tennis World.

“Emma Raducanu said that she will come to every edition that we will organize in the future.”

Raducanu travelled to Cluj-Napoca with her father Ian, who himself hails from Bucharest.

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The US Open champion is currently without a coach in Romania, but is enjoying having her dad there to watch her play and cheer her on, something he doesn’t often get to do.

Raducanu, who won the US Open in the absence of her parents, who were unable to travel to New York, said it “meant a lot” to play in front of father Ian in his home country.

She added: “Now he can really experience how it is after a bit of success and enjoy it.

“He wouldn’t travel too much with me usually but because it is Romania he had to come – he wasn’t going to miss the opportunity.

“It is great to have him here with me having gone through my whole journey and then not be with me in New York when that special experience happened.”

Raducanu’s grandmother has also travelled down to watch her play at the Transylvania Open, something she has enjoyed after fans were banned from stands when Covid restrictions changed in Romania on the eve of the tournament.

The 18-year-old is set to be able to play in front of her family for years to come, after committing to the event in conversation with the tournament director.

She even delivered her post-match interview in Romanian following her win over Hercog, much to the delight of the crowd, and admitted she felt “at home”.

“I want to thank you all, the tournament is very well organised. I like Romania very much, I feels like home here,” she said.
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