Emma Raducanu apologised to fans at the Transylvania Open after slipping to a brutal defeat at the hands of Sorana Cirstea in the final. The young Brit was seeking her first title since winning the US Open in 2021 but was swept aside by her Romanian opponent in just 63 minutes. It was a hard watch at times, with Raducanu nowhere near the required level at any point during the contest.
She only won two games throughout the entire match, being bagelled in the opening set, and produced four double-faults on a day to forget. Raducanu looked sluggish and called for a medical timeout in the second set, which saw a doctor check her vital signs and blood pressure. After the match, she apologised to the fans in attendance for failing to put up enough of a fight.
In her runner-up speech, Raducanu said: “I want to say thank you to all the ball kids, all the umpires, all the sponsors who made this tournament possible. There’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes.
“I want to thank the public. You really made me feel at home this week. Sorry today I couldn’t bring my best, but congratulations as well to Sorana, you’ve had an incredible week.
“I think you’re playing great tennis. I don’t know if this is your last tournament in Cluj here, but I know if it was me I’d be out on a high. Congrats for everything.”
Raducanu also thanked Alexis Canter, who has been drafted in to help her after she parted ways with Francisco Roig following the Australian Open.
“Honestly it’s been a while since I’ve given one of these speeches,” she added. “I want to thank Alexis and the people back home who have supported me throughout the last few years. It’s been like four of five years since my last final. It means a lot.”
Despite her defeat in the final, it was a positive tournament for Raducanu as she climbed five places in the WTA rankings thanks to 153 points added to her tally.
She will soon travel to the Middle East for the upcoming Qatar Open, which will present her with another opportunity to mount a deep tournament run.
Raducanu will face a qualifier in her first match and could go up against Clara Tauson in round two if she makes it through her opener.