“I am happy that, just this morning, I woke up in the top 100, ranked 97. So, yes, I believe I’ve had a very good year, even though overall, it was very challenging. I pushed my limits because, honestly, it was a very tough comeback, both physically and mentally, and ultimately, in the WTA rankings,” Jaqueline Cristian told us before her doubles match won on Monday evening, alongside Irina Bara.
Jaqueline, one of the most beloved players at the Transylvania Open, went through a complicated period after her return to the circuit.
“I woke up in January 2023 and I was like, ‘What do I do now? Can I still get back into the top 100? Can I return to the level I was playing at when I got injured?‘ After the serious injury (a torn ACL) that took her out of the tennis elite, which she had worked so hard to reach, Jaqueline Cristian started the year with many doubts and few certainties. The first certainty: ranking 284. The second: is that, alongside the painful process – both physically and mentally – of recovery, she had to start over, in the ITF circuit, earning points to achieve her goal of returning to the top 100.
“I played a lot because the ITF circuit is quite tough. Even though they were ITF tournaments, they were very strong events. I went to a $60,000 tournament and played in the second round against Clara Tauson, a top 100 player, the quarterfinals against Tamara Zidansek, the semifinal against Kristina Kucova, and the final against Oceane Dodin. These were basically WTA-level matches, and they put me on the right track.”
Now, Jaq – who reached the quarter-finals at the 2021 edition – returns to the Transylvania Open with the intention of continuing her successful journey. She will start on Wednesday in the singles draw, facing Celine Naef, whom she recently defeated at a tournament in France.
“I beat her recently in Rouen. From my point of view, it’s an advantage because you know what to expect. On the other hand, you can also think that she’s motivated to get her revenge. I would be in the same situation. If I lost to someone today, tomorrow, of course, I would want to take my revenge.”
Regarding her plans for the 2024 season, Jaqueline doesn’t want to set limits for herself: “Of course, I would like to finish the year in the top 50, as I first set out to do when I entered the top 100, which is not easy because you have to defend your top 100 points and add even more on top of that. But when you have the level and feel that you belong in the WTA and have the game to compete with the best players in the world, that is achievable.”
