Emma Raducanu paid tribute to "idol" Simona Halep following a Cluj-Napoca finish, admitting that she felt "like a little girl" after seeing the Romanian tennis legend in the stands.
Halep, a former two-time Grand Slam champion and a former world No. 1, concluded her pro tennis journey in February 2025 by playing in front of her home fans in Cluj-Napoca.
A year later, the Romanian tennis icon returned to the Transylvania Open – but in the role of a tournament ambassador. As part of her role, the 2019 Wimbledon champion sat in the stands the entire week and also interacted with players.
Since all of Raducanu's matches in Cluj-Napoca were scheduled for the Centre Court, Halep got to watch a lot of the British top seed.
Raducanu: I was very shy and nervous after seeing my idol Halep… I felt like a little girl
"It was incredible. I felt at home all week. The support was great, even today when I was playing against Sorana. Of course, they were cheering for her too, but I expected that and I think they were very fair. I really enjoyed it, and I think Patrick did a great job," the 23-year-old admitted after losing 0-6 2-6 to Sorana Cirstea in the Cluj-Napoca final.
"Also, meeting Simona (Halep), who has been my idol since I was a child – seeing her made me very nervous and shy; I felt like a little girl, but it was incredible to see her and play in front of her. She has inspired me and so many people."
On Tuesday, Raducanu – who has Romanian roots since her father Ion is from Bucharest – kicked off her Cluj-Napoca campaign by beating Greetje Minnen 6-0 6-4. Afterward, during her on-court interview, she spoke in Romanian, and Halep loved it.
Simona Halep smiles on as Emma Raducanu addresses the crowd in her "rusty" Romanian. Top seed Raducanu advances to the second round with her 6-0, 6-4 win over Greet Minnen. #TransylvaniaOpen pic.twitter.com/wzAmnBHFtf
— islandtennisgirl (@islandtennisace) February 2, 2026
Meanwhile, reaching the Cluj-Napoca final marked Raducanu's first final since the 2021 US Open.
