Sorana Cirstea claimed her fourth WTA Tour title by overwhelming top seed Emma Raducanu 6-0, 6-2 in the Transylvania Open final in Cluj-Napoca on February 7, 2026. The 35-year-old Romanian, playing her last professional season, dominated in just 63 minutes before a partisan home crowd. Raducanu, reaching her first final since the 2021 US Open, struggled with physical issues and could not mount a challenge.
The Transylvania Open final showcased a stark contrast in form and fitness. Third seed Sorana Cirstea, buoyed by the roaring support in Cluj-Napoca, started aggressively, breaking Raducanu in all three of her service games in the first set, which she won 6-0 in 29 minutes. Raducanu, the 23-year-old British No. 1, committed 19 unforced errors and six double faults, hitting only one winner in the opener.
In the second set, Raducanu briefly fought back, breaking Cirstea to level at 2-2 after a medical timeout where her blood pressure was checked. However, Cirstea regrouped, breaking again to lead 4-2 and closing out the match 6-2 on Raducanu's final double fault. The Romanian won 30 of 45 points in the first set alone, demonstrating relentless pressure.
"Someone please pinch me, because this is a dream come true," Cirstea said post-match. "I still can’t believe that I’m holding the trophy as champion here in Cluj. I am so, so happy, I cannot describe it in words." She becomes the third Romanian to win a WTA title on home soil in the Open Era, joining Irina-Camelia Begu and Simona Halep, who presented her the trophy.
Raducanu, who had endured a grueling 2-hour-48-minute semifinal win over Oleksandra Oliynykova the day before, appeared drained. "Sorry, today I didn’t bring my best," she admitted. "Congratulations to Sorana, you’ve had a great week." This marked Raducanu's fifth career WTA semifinal and first final in nearly five years, following recent coaching changes including a split from Francisco Roig.
Cirstea, winless in prior Cluj appearances, swept all eight sets this week and eyes the Dubai WTA 1000 next. For Raducanu, positives lie in reaching the final after early 2026 setbacks, though scrutiny from figures like Boris Becker and Kim Clijsters over her career decisions persists. The result highlights Cirstea's farewell surge on home soil.
