Ana Bogdan made her return in Cluj at the Transylvania Open after a long break caused by knee and ankle injuries. In November, at a time when she had many doubts and no longer believed a comeback was possible, she decided to resume training and dedicated all her time and energy to being able to play at home, in front of the Cluj crowd.
“For me, being able to play again in front of the home crowd truly means a lot. Because I didn’t believe it. A few months ago, I really didn’t know. I didn’t know whether I would play again or not. I had made other plans, I was ready to say ‘that’s it,’ because I genuinely didn’t know. Maybe I was a bit tense today and didn’t manage my emotions very well, but it’s always a great pleasure for me to be here. I always feel the warmth of the crowd, their love, their support — and honestly, I think that’s what a person needs.”
Shortly after her first-round loss, Ana said that simply being back on court and managing to complete a full match at home is one of the things she is most grateful for right now.
“You can clearly see the progress. I started training in mid-November after seven months off and literally began from the very bottom. And now I’ve played a full match — for me, that’s truly a positive thing.”
