The 2026 final of the Transylvania Open looked and felt like destiny.
Purple dominated the court. Romanian flags framed the stands. At one end stood Sorana Cirstea, dressed to match the moment — purple socks, purple shirt, the home favorite chasing a WTA title in what she has already confirmed will be her final season on tour. At the other end was Emma Raducanu, elegant in purple Nike kit, the former US Open champion with Romanian roots through her father.
What followed was not a contest of nerves.
It was a declaration.
A Ruthless Opening: Cirstea Sets the Tone
Cirstea did not ease into the final — she ignited it.
She struck the ball cleanly from the first rally, winning every early service point and immediately forcing Raducanu onto the defensive. The opening game alone set the tone. Cirstea then surged to 0–40, missed her first chances, then returned again and again. Five break points came and went before a sixth finally landed, sealed by a Raducanu backhand drifting long.
From there, the floodgates opened.
Raducanu struggled to absorb the pace and weight of shot coming off Cirstea’s racquet. The Romanian dictated exchanges with aggressive depth, taking time away and refusing to retreat. The result was brutal and unmistakable: 6–0 in the opening set.
Emma Raducanu vs Sorana Cirstea – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Emma Raducanu | Sorana Cirstea |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.39 | 2.58 |
| Serve Rating | 145 | 312 |
| Aces | 0 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 75% (21/28) | 59% (10/17) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 43% (9/21) | 80% (8/10) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 29% (2/7) | 71% (5/7) |
| Break Points Saved | 67% (6/9) | – (0/0) |
| Service Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Ace % | 0% | 11.8% |
| Double Fault % | 7.1% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 49 | 261 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 20% (2/10) | 57% (12/21) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 29% (2/7) | 71% (5/7) |
| Break Points Won | – (0/0) | 33% (3/9) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Pressure Points | 67% (6/9) | 33% (3/9) |
| Service Points | 39% (11/28) | 76% (13/17) |
| Return Points | 24% (4/17) | 61% (17/28) |
| Total Points | 33% (15/45) | 67% (30/45) |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h30m | |
A Flicker of Resistance — Briefly
The perfection did not last.
Early in the second set, the intensity dipped just enough for Raducanu to steady herself. The score moved to 2–2, and a long, grinding service game for Cirstea — double deuce — hinted at a possible shift. The crowd leaned in. A break felt close.
But it never came.
That missed window proved decisive.
Momentum Reclaimed, Energy Drained
Sensing danger, Cirstea responded immediately. She stepped inside the baseline, attacked Raducanu’s second serve with conviction, and forced the issue. The break points returned — and this time, she converted.
From 4–2 it quickly became 5–2.
Raducanu’s body language faded with the scoreboard. She stopped chasing a drop shot. The legs looked heavy. The spark was gone.
Cirstea’s forehand did the rest.
On championship point — Raducanu’s second serve — the pressure told. A double fault ended it.
Emma Raducanu vs Sorana Cirstea – Set Two Stats
| Statistic | Emma Raducanu | Sorana Cirstea |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.56 | 1.79 |
| Serve Rating | 144 | 256 |
| Aces | 0 | 4 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 2 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% (15/24) | 45% (9/20) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 60% (9/15) | 89% (8/9) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 0% (0/9) | 45% (5/11) |
| Break Points Saved | 40% (2/5) | 0% (0/1) |
| Service Games | 25% (1/4) | 75% (3/4) |
| Ace % | 0% | 20% |
| Double Fault % | 16.7% | 10% |
| Return Rating | 191 | 275 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 11% (1/9) | 40% (6/15) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 55% (6/11) | 100% (9/9) |
| Break Points Won | 100% (1/1) | 60% (3/5) |
| Return Games | 25% (1/4) | 75% (3/4) |
| Pressure Points | 50% (3/6) | 50% (3/6) |
| Service Points | 38% (9/24) | 65% (13/20) |
| Return Points | 35% (7/20) | 63% (15/24) |
| Total Points | 36% (16/44) | 64% (28/44) |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h34m | |
A Champion at Home
The handshake at the net was warm. The embrace with her mother said everything.
Sorana Cirstea was a champion once more.
This was her second WTA title in two seasons, and one delivered in emphatic fashion: just five games dropped across the semi-final and final combined. Nearly 20 years after her first WTA match in Stockhol back in 2006, Cirstea now owns four career titles.
This one, though — at home, under Romanian flags, dressed in purple — felt different.
A celebration.
A statement.
And a perfect chapter in a career coming full circle.