Emma Raducanu Falls in Straight Sets in Transylvania Open Final After Requiring On-Court Medical Attention
Emma Raducanu’s long-awaited return to a WTA final ended in disappointment on Saturday, as the British No. 1 suffered a heavy 6-0, 6-2 defeat to home favorite Sorana Cirstea in the Transylvania Open championship match.
The loss marked Raducanu’s first WTA final since her breakthrough 2021 US Open triumph nearly five years ago, but the contest was overshadowed by visible struggles with her physical condition. Raducanu received medical attention during the match, with a trainer and doctor checking her vital signs—including blood pressure—after she lost the opening set 6-0. She was seen gesturing to her chest and coughing, appearing fatigued throughout the 63-minute encounter.
Raducanu, the tournament’s top seed, had battled through a grueling path to the final. She overcame a near three-hour semifinal against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova (7-5, 3-6, 6-3) just a day earlier, a match that left her exhausted despite her resilience in claiming the decisive set. That win secured her second career WTA final and first since her historic Grand Slam victory as a qualifier in New York.
Against Cirstea, the No. 3 seed and a local crowd favorite, Raducanu struggled to find rhythm early. The Romanian veteran dominated from the baseline, racing through the first set without dropping a game. In the second, Raducanu briefly got on the board but could not mount a comeback as Cirstea closed out the match efficiently.
The on-court medical timeout came shortly after the first set concluded, with Raducanu slumping in her chair as medical staff attended to her. Commentators noted she had not looked fully comfortable, and the interruption highlighted concerns over her stamina following the demanding semifinal.
Despite the setback, Raducanu’s deep run in Cluj-Napoca offered encouragement. Reaching the final represented a significant milestone in her ongoing recovery from injury-plagued seasons, and she had shown flashes of her high-level play en route, including strong wins over opponents like Greet Minnen and a comeback against Kaja Juvan.
Cirstea, meanwhile, claimed her eighth WTA final appearance and delivered for the home supporters with a composed, aggressive performance.
As Raducanu reflects on the week, the focus will shift to managing her physical condition ahead of the next events on the tour. The Transylvania Open provided valuable court time and confidence, even if the final result fell short of what she and her fans had hoped for after such a prolonged wait for another title chance.
