Emma Raducanu recently charmed the local crowd and former Grand Slam champion Simona Halep by addressing them in Romanian after her second-round victory at the Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca. The 2021 US Open champion entered the tournament as the top seed and is bidding to secure just the second title of her career.
Emma Raducanu Delights the Local Crowd and Simona Halep With a Transylvania Open Act
Raducanu made a solid start to the season in Hobart, reaching the quarterfinals. The Brit defeated Camila Osorio and then received a walkover against Magdalena Fręch in the second round to book her place in the last eight. However, her run ended there, as she fell in straight sets to home favorite Taylah Preston.
The 23-year-old then entered the Australian Open as a second seed and secured a straight-set win over Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the first round. However, Raducanu’s journey in Melbourne was cut short by Anastasia Potapova, who secured a 7-6(3), 6-2 win to move ahead in the tournament.
Raducanu’s defeat in Melbourne ended her hopes of a deep run at the season’s first Grand Slam and saw her world ranking slip from 29th to 30th. Following the loss, the Brit also announced that she was parting ways with coach Francisco Roig, who had joined her team full-time in August 2025.
Raducanu has now turned her attention to the WTA 250 event in Cluj-Napoca and made an impressive start. The Brit faced Greet Minnen in the first round, cruising through the opening set with a bagel before closing out the second 6-4 to secure her place in the second round.
Beyond the victory, Raducanu also captured attention with a memorable moment during her post-match on-court interview. Asked whether she had a message for the Romanian fans in attendance, the Brit admitted she was a little rusty after time away before addressing the crowd in their native language.
MORE: Emma Raducanu Longing To Be With Her Grandmother After Arriving at Transylvania Open
The gesture was met with a thunderous roar from the stands, underlining the crowd’s delight, while former World No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep was also seen smiling.
On court interview
🙏 to all the Romanian fans for your great support pic.twitter.com/m9dFOQ5jMy
— Raducanu News 🦇 (@RaducanuNews) February 2, 2026
Raducanu shares a deep personal connection with Romania through her father’s side, having spent significant time in the country during her childhood. Her father, Ion Răducanu, is from Bucharest, and the Brit also took the opportunity to thank the Romanian crowd earlier during her on-court interview.
“Very Happy! I think I played a great match, from the beginning, super aggressive. And, I think the crowd from the minute I walked out was incredible so thank you very much for all the support,” she said on court.
“The 2021 US Open champion will now turn her attention to her next match against Kaja Juvan, scheduled for Wednesday, February 4.
