The Transylvania Open WTA 250 tennis tournament in Cluj-Napoca, voted WTA250 Tournament of the Year for two consecutive years will now be organized under a permanent license. The acquisition process was recently completed. The organizers purchased the license previously owned by Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Country Time Club to stage: the Palermo Ladies Open, which has had 35 editions since 1988. Transylvania Open has held three editions in October, and the most recent one, this February. The next edition will be organized from February 1-9, 2025.
The recently acquired license allows the tournament to be held anywhere worldwide (subject to WTA approval), but the Transylvania Open team wants the event to remain in Cluj-Napoca. Patrick Ciorcilă will continue to be the tournament director, ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining high standards of organization and competition.
Patrick Ciorcilă, director of Transylvania Open WTA 250: ”We are excited to announce the acquisition of the permanent license for the Transylvania Open WTA 250. It was a significant financial investment, but more importantly, it is an investment in the future of tennis in Romania and the international image of our country. With this acquisition, we will continue to organize the tournament in Cluj-Napoca and provide valuable support to Romanian athletes who will have the opportunity to compete at home. Additionally, organizing a prestigious tournament will contribute to the sports education of young talents, inspiring future generations to follow this path.
We are honored to have taken over this license from a tournament with tradition and we believe that the Transylvania Open, through its results, honors this handover..”
Oliviero Palma, owner of Palermo Ladies Open: ”Thanks for your beautiful words and it was a pleasure also for us! The tournament, which for 35 years has enabled prestigious pages of world tennis to be written, is in good hands. We are sure that thanks to your passionate commitment it will find new impetus for further prestigious achievements. It was a pleasure to meet you and to appreciate the great professionalism with which the title transfer was achieved. We will follow you with attention and affection”
The most recent edition of the Transylvania Open took place at the BTarena in Cluj-Napoca from February 3-11, 2024. The matches were played indoors on hard courts set up on two tennis courts. A total of 32 players competed in the singles matches and 16 teams in the doubles for 250 WTA points and prizes worth $267,082. This year’s grand trophy was won by Karolina Pliskova, a former world leader and the headliner of the Cluj tournament. She played the final against Ana Bogdan, the number 8 favorite of the competition. A team of nearly 1,000 people worked on organizing the tournament, and the budget amounted to 15 million euros.
Transylvania Open is part of the WTA 250 category tournaments. Currently, there are 23 WTA 250 tournaments organized worldwide.
About Transylvania Open WTA 250
Transylvania Open is the most important women’s tennis tournament in Romania and is part of the WTA 250 category. The event brings together top players from around the world for a week of intense competition at the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca. With a steady increase in popularity, Transylvania Open WTA 250 continues to promote women’s tennis and the Hologic WTA Tour in Romania and globally.
About the WTA
Founded by Billie Jean King in 1973 on the principle of equal opportunity, the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) is the global leader in women’s professional sports. The WTA is one of the world’s most recognizable and high-profile sports organizations, consisting of more than 1600 players representing over 80 nations, all competing to earn WTA rankings points and prestigious tournament titles. The Hologic WTA Tour is comprised of over 70 events and four Grand Slams, spanning 30 countries and regions across six continents with a global audience of one billion. Further information on the WTA can be found at wtatennis.com.
