Article by David Istrate – Published on Monday, 02 February 2026, 20:25 / Updated on Monday, 02 February 2026 20:27
Emma Răducanu (23 years old, 30 WTA), the number 1 favorite from the Transylvania Open, qualified for the round of 16 of the competition, after a clear victory over Greet Minnen (28 years old, 125 WTA), score 6-0, 6-4.
On Monday, February 2, at 6:00 p.m., the center court of BTarena hosted one of the most anticipated moments from the first days of the Transylvania Open: the debut of Emma Răducanu, US Open champion in 2021 and player with Romanian origins.
After the victory in 71 minutes, Emma Răducanu took the microphone and combined Romanian with English
Supported by a large audience, the Briton made an excellent start to the confrontation with Greet Minnen and he needed just 26 minutes to win the opening set: 6-0. The Belgian tennis player recovered in the second sequence and won her first set, but Răducanu continued to dominate.
The 23-year-old athlete led 3-1, 4-2 and 5-3, and after one hour and 11 minutes, won 6-0, 6-4, qualifying for the round of 16 of the Transylvania Open. Further, Răducanu will meet Kaja Juvan (25 years old, 97 WTA), who passed in two sets, 6-3, 6-4, against Elena Ruxandra Bertea (19 years old, 295 WTA).
“Thank you so much for your support today“, declared Răducanu, in Romanian, at the interview on the ground. “I'm very happy to be back here and I can't wait to play… Wednesday“, continued the world number 30, to the applause of the Cluj audience.
Later, at the press conference, Răducanu spoke about the duel with Minnen:
“I'm very happy with this match. I think I played well from the start and the first game helped me set the pace for the rest of the match. I knew Greet could be very dangerous and tricky because on court it's all about hitting first. She has a strong serve and returns well so I'm happy with how I managed.”
Emma Răducanu, at the press conference/Photo: David Istrate (GSP.ro)
Emma Răducanu: “I am very grateful to have this support in Romania”
The London-born tennis player revealed that in 2025, her game has improved, she has become more aggressive and her serve is better. However, the beginning of 2026 was not the best for Răducanu.
“I didn't feel too comfortable in Australia. I think it was tricky over there, it also depended on the time of day we were playing, the conditions are very different. You adjust to some conditions and then out of the blue you're playing during the day and the ball is flying. I think I felt a lot better today, the variables have reduced and I'm very proud of what I brought to the pitch and my whole approach. I stayed aggressive until the end,” explained the former world number 10.
“I have to say that I was warmed by the welcome I got when I came out on the field and throughout the match, the fact that people cheered me on during the games, after the games, before the important moments. It means so much to me and I am very grateful to have this support in Romania. This makes me feel even more at home“, Răducanu concluded.
The player with a Romanian father and a Chinese mother also participated in the Transylvania Open in 2021, and then she was coming after the successful surprise at the US Open, where she won the title. In Cluj, the Brit got past Polona Hercog, score 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, and Ana Bogdan, score 6-3, 6-4, after which she lost, in the “quarters”, to Marta Kostyuk, score 2-6, 1-6.
