Arriving at the press conference with a smile after her marathon semifinal victory at the Transylvania Open, Emma Raducanu spoke to the journalists at BT Arena about the emotions she is feeling now that she has reached her first WTA final since her breakthrough triumph at the 2021 US Open.
“What a match! And what a tricky opponent,” Emma began. “She put so many balls back in play, she played so unconventionally — she’s incredibly creative! But I’m truly happy that I managed to come through!”
Asked about the wonderful Cluj crowd, who supported her passionately while maintaining the fair-play spirit that her opponent, Oleksandra Oliynykova, especially appreciated, Emma said:
“The crowd helped me so, so much. When I was a break down in the third set… it would have been much harder for me to fight back if the atmosphere hadn’t been what it was. When people support you like that, you’re willing to fight for every single ball. And that’s exactly what I did in those tough moments. No matter how I was feeling or how uncomfortable the match had become, I managed to leave everything on the court so that I wouldn’t have any regrets afterward. And I think the crowd helped me do that. As I’ve said all week, I truly felt like I was playing at home,” added Emma, who required treatment on her right shoulder during the match.
“I used all of my resilience today. The match was very difficult — emotionally and physically. It required a lot of patience and a lot of mental strength, so I’m satisfied now. Winning four matches in a row is not something I’ve managed very often. But now that I feel this fatigue, these aches in my body, I see them as rewards for being in the final — I know it’s all worth it.”
