Emma Raducanu walked away from the Transylvania Open final without the trophy, but not without perspective. After a demanding week in Cluj-Napoca ended in a straight-sets loss to hometown favorite Sorana Cîrstea, Raducanu struck a measured and honest tone, openly acknowledging physical exhaustion while emphasizing the bigger picture.
A Match-by-Match Look at Emma Raducanu’s Week in Cluj-Napoca
Entering as the top seed, she was chasing her first tour-level title since her historic 2021 US Open triumph and her first WTA final appearance in more than four years. She opened with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Greet Minnen, then produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the season against Kaja Juvan, reeling off 11 straight games after trailing 0-5 to close out a 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Straightforward wins over Maja Chwalińska and a grueling three-set semifinal against Oleksandra Oliynykova, which stretched nearly three hours, pushed her into the final. In the championship match, third seed Cîrstea secured a dominant victory over Raducanu, winning 6-0, 6-2 in just 63 minutes.
The Brit appeared to be struggling physically, likely from the fatigue of a demanding 2-hour, 48-minute semifinal win the previous day. During the second set, Raducanu requested a medical timeout to have her blood pressure checked, and while she briefly rallied to level the set at 2-2, Cîrstea regained momentum to close out the match.
How Did Raducanu Assess Her Energy Levels and the Match-Up in the Final?
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, Raducanu did not sugarcoat her condition or the level across the net. “I’m sad that today couldn’t go a bit better, but I think Sorana played incredible from the start to the end,” Raducanu said. “My energy was pretty low after my battle yesterday. So I’m really happy with the steps I made this week and I think it’s moving in the right direction.”
“I didn’t have much energy” 🗣️
Emma Raducanu reacts to her defeat in the Transylvania Open final, where her hopes of winning a maiden WTA Tour title were ended. pic.twitter.com/3fHDelgAf7
— Sky Sports Tennis (@SkySportsTennis) February 7, 2026
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She went on to detail how her condition affected her performance, noting, “I’ve just been a bit ill this week and then yesterday’s match was so long and it just took it out of me. So today I just felt like energy-wise, I didn’t really have much energy. And it was really difficult.”
Raducanu was candid about the reality she faced on court, adding, “Sorana played so well. I had no chance if I wasn’t 100%. And even if I was 100%, she was still playing incredible tennis. So all credit to her. She really deserves this one.”
Raducanu’s strong showing en route to the final lifted her back to World No. 25, marking her highest ranking since August 2022.