Article by David Istrate – Published on Wednesday, 04 February 2026, 23:03 / Updated on Wednesday, 04 February 2026 23:12
Emma Răducanu (23 years old, 30 WTA) qualified for the quarter-finals of the Transylvania Open, after a stunning comeback against Kaja Juvan (25 years old, 97 WTA), score 7-5, 6-1. In the next round, the British will meet the Polish Maja Chwalinska (24 years old, 146 WTA).
The last match of the day on the central court at the Transylvania Open was between Emma Răducanu and Kaja Juvan. Even if everyone saw the 2021 US Open champion as the favorite, the match was not easy at all.
Emma Răducanu, coming back from 0-5 down in the first set: “I was okay with losing”
The Slovenian started the duel excellently, made 3 breaks in a row and was leading 5-0. With the previous two matches on the main court ending 6-1, 6-0, things seemed to be heading in that direction.
However, Răducanu recovered in time, remained persistent and faithful to her style of play and began to dominate her opponent. The 23-year-old athlete won 11 consecutive games and the score became 7-5, 4-0.
Juvan interrupted the extraordinary streak of his opponent, but he could not change the fate of the match. Răducanu prevailed 7-5, 6-1 and qualified for the “quarters” at the Transylvania Opento star with Maja Chwalinska.
“I'm very happy, obviously, to come back from there. It wasn't easy to be 5-0 down, but I found the strength to come back in the first set. I'm happy because it's not something I've done before, and even if I was 5-0 down I felt like I was playing on my terms. For me this is progress and I know that if I want to play this way, it will never be easy. I'm going to lose some matches doing what I'm doing because it's a process“, said the world number 30, at the press conference.
“I was leading 5-0, but I didn't feel like I was far from finding solutions. I think at the beginning I took a lot of risks. In the first round, I felt that they paid off and everything I touched was going into the court. Today everything I hit hit the net or went in. So I wasn't that far and I was telling myself that I'm doing what I want, that I'm dedicated to my shots and that I'm playing on my terms. I was really okay with losing if I did it in my style and I'm very happy that I was rewarded in the end and turned the game around“, Răducanu added.
Emma Răducanu qualified for the quarter-finals of the Transylvania Open/Photo: Imago Images
Emma Răducanu, about her father: “He loves any opportunity to be surrounded by Romanians”
On Thursday, February 5, the Briton will return to the BTarena after 16:00 and fight for the qualification in the semi-finals of the Transylvania Open. Răducanu said that he will focus on recovery and that he hopes to be fine from a physical point of view.
“The fans have helped me so much. Hearing them back me at 0-5 made me want to try and win every game possible and try to make the score look better, give them more tennis to watch. Then, after I recovered, they started shouting louder and being more passionate”, said Răducanu about the supporters from Cluj.
The player also spoke about her father and grandmother, who are from Romania.
“I'm very, very happy to be here in Romania. It's a place where I feel so welcome, like home. Everyone has been nice to me and I have great support. It's like playing at home, which is very nice. My grandma is so happy I'm here. I hope to see her after the tournament. And my father is happy because he loves any opportunity to be surrounded by Romanians, to be among them. I'm glad I can make them both proud by being here.”
Răducanu also revealed what he did in his little free time:
“I managed to walk around downtown yesterday morning and it was nice. But honestly, it's so cold. I didn't really want to spend time outside, I don't want to catch a cold. So I'm just trying to rest and recover.”
Emma Răducanu, at the press conference/Photo: David Istrate (GSP.ro)
Emma Răducanu, coached by Simona Halep: “I think she has better things to do”
At the end, Emma was asked if she didn't think of being trained by a Romanian coach, maybe Simona Halep. “I think he has better things to do than train on the circuit“, answered Răducanu, laughing.
“I haven't thought about that, my next steps. Obviously, for now, I'm sticking with what worked well this week. Alexis (née Canter) is a great guy and he helped me a lot this week. I just kept my head down and worked,” she concluded.
