Emma Raducanu’s bid for a first WTA title in five years ended in disappointment on Saturday at the Transylvania Open.
The British No.1 was far from top form during her 6-0, 6-3 loss to home favourite Sorana Cirstea, who will be retiring later this year. Raducanu struggled with her movement on the court and took a medical timeout at one stage to have her blood pressure taken. She lost the first eight games played in the final.
“I want to say thank you to all of the ball kids, all the umpires, all the sponsors who made this tournament possible,” Raducanu said afterwards on court.
“There’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes, and also I want to thank the public, for sure.
“You really made me feel at home this week, so thank you.
“Sorry, I couldn’t bring my best today.”
The 23-year-old was playing in her first title match since winning the 2021 US Open as a qualifier. Coming into her clash with Cirstea, she was taken to three sets by Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in the semi-finals. Although she only dropped 14 games across her three other matches played at the tournament.
“Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve given one of these speeches,” she continued.
“I also want to thank Alexis [Canter] and the people back home, who have supported me throughout the last few years.”
Canter accompanied Raducanu in Romania this week following the departure of her coach Francis Roig. She is yet to confirm who will be her next permanent coach.
Cirstea, the oldest player in the main draw at 35, is the first home player to triumph at the Transylvania Open. It is the fourth title of her career.
Czech-mate for Boulter in Ostrava
There was better news for British tennis fans at the Ostrava Open with Katie Boulter battling back from a set down to beat Tamara Korpatsch 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, and claim her first trophy since 2024. She is also the first player from her country to win a singles WTA title for 17 months.
Boulter has won six out of eight matches played so far in 2026, with her two losses being to Elina Svitolina in Auckland and Belinda Bencic at the Australian Open. She is currently ranked 120th in the world but has been ranked as high as 23rd.
“To my stable team… my whole family back home, everyone close to me knows how hard this last year has been for me,” she said.
“To kind of get today, it makes it all worth it. I appreciate the work you do on a daily basis. It means everything to me.”
The 29-year-old endured a troublesome 2025 season, which ended with her suffering an abductor injury at the Hong Kong Open. During that season, she also split with her coach of three years, Biljana Veselinovic, and won just 14 Tour-level matches.
On Monday, Boulter will re-enter the top 100 as a result of her title triumph in Ostrava.
Bejlek breaks new ground
In the Middle East, Sara Bejlek completed her fairytale run at the Abu Dhabi Open to claim her first title at the age of 20.
The Czech had to come through two rounds of qualifying to secure a place in the main draw. Despite being the underdog, Bejlek scored wins over Jelena Ostapenko, Sonay Kartel and Clara Tucson en route to the final. Then in the title showdown, she held her nerve to beat second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6(5), 6-1. Prior to the tournament, she hadn’t beaten a top 20 player in her career.
Bejlek, who is a former French Open junior champion in doubles, will break into the top 50 next week.
