Elena-Ruxandra Bertea made her debut in a WTA main draw right at home, at the Transylvania Open. The 19-year-old from Brăila embraced the moment as a learning experience — one that confirms the progress she’s made so far and may mark the beginning of a new stage in her journey.
“For me, the most important thing has been focusing on how I play from one week to the next: what I can take from each week, how I can raise my level for the next match or tournament, how I can handle key moments better. That’s how I managed to grow last year.”
She speaks openly about what she wants from 2026, about the mindset she wants to show on court, and about the lessons she has learned about herself and her path in tennis: there are no secrets — only discipline and ambition.
Congratulations on your first WTA main-draw match. How do you feel?
“Thank you! Honestly, I’m a bit upset right now — it’s still a lost match, of course — but I can take the good things from it and enjoy the experience, because you don’t play WTA every day. For me, this was my first main-draw match at this level, so there are many positives I can take from it.”
From the outside, the match looked very solid. You seemed to match the level of your more experienced opponent. How did it feel to you?
“Level-wise, I think I managed to get close to her in the second set. Sure, I could have started a bit better, settled into the match sooner, but I was more attentive in the second set and had a few chances, especially at 3–3. If I had taken those chances, who knows, maybe the score would have been different.”
“I want to work even harder going forward. I need to talk more with my coach to see what I can take from this match, because we haven’t had time to discuss it yet. I truly hope to come back here next year!”
Did you feel extra emotions playing here?
“Yes, I did! I noticed the arena filling up as the games went on. At the beginning there weren’t that many people. I loved having supporters in the stands. It’s very different from the ITF tournaments I usually play, where people don’t really come to watch. Here, I was really happy to see them!”
Did you enjoy the surface and the conditions? How do you see the draw and the tournament overall?
“The draw is quite tough — very strong for a WTA 250. So many good players. I was even looking and saw that last year’s final is now happening in the first round, which is really impressive. I liked the surface a lot. It’s a bit slower compared to the tournaments I usually play. The balls got fluffy quickly, which slowed the game down a bit. Overall, I really liked the conditions. It’s a very well-organized tournament. I also liked the transport, the hotel, everything. It’s something unique for me to be here at the Transylvania Open. I don’t experience this every week, and it makes me very happy.”
