Jaqueline Cristian is currently enjoying the best period of her career. Ranked No. 35 in the WTA standings and coming off a quarterfinal run at the Adelaide International, she arrived in Cluj more motivated than ever to fight for the title.
“This edition feels like one of the strongest. It’s very solid and complete — there are many players here with different styles, and it’s not easy at all. As much as we enjoy playing at home, first and foremost, you want to play well.”
Over the past year, Jaqueline has not only climbed the rankings but, more importantly, made clear progress in her game and in her understanding of it. This progress comes from the daily work she puts in alongside a passionate and dedicated team focused on improving every detail, as well as from her openness to trying new things, adjusting, and changing what doesn’t work.
We asked Jaqueline how she views this sixth edition of the Transylvania Open.
“For me, the trophy here at the Transylvania Open, as I’ve said before, is the one I want the most. I know that saying this can be interpreted as pressure, but at the same time, whenever I’ve played at home, here, or in Iași, I’ve done it with joy. I’m simply trying to enjoy the fact that I’m playing at home — because we don’t get this chance very often. It energizes me; I feel an extra boost this week. Of course, I keep the same training rhythm with my team and the same match approach, but I add the extra energy from the crowd. It feels different when you’re at home, and people are there for you. So I’ll try to do everything I can to follow my game, just as I did in Adelaide, and to make this week last as long as possible.”
How does she see the draw and this year’s edition?
“The draw looks very well balanced to me. I did my best not to be drawn against other Romanians (she smiles). If I could have chosen, I would have preferred Sorana to be in the top half and Potapova in the bottom half — because it’s one thing to meet in the semifinal and another to meet in the final. But the reality is, there are still three matches until then. Three tough matches. This edition feels like one of the strongest. Very solid, very complete — there are many players with different styles, and it’s not easy at all. As much as we enjoy playing at home, we still want to perform well. There’s a very fine line between doing well and nothing working. So it’s normal to take it day by day. God willing, we’ll get to the semifinals and deal with that ‘problem’ then. I’ve been there before, two years ago, when I played the semifinal against Ana.”
About the tournament itself, Jaqueline added:
“Every time I come here, I feel at home. People take care of us impeccably — I have nothing to complain about. It’s different when you’ve been a player, and now you’re a tournament director, because you understand the players’ needs. Patrick (Patrick Ciorcilă, the tournament director) really looks after us and tries to do everything possible. This is a factor for the other players too — everyone I’ve spoken to talks about this tournament in superlative terms. There’s another tournament in the same week with a slightly weaker draw because players preferred to come here, precisely because of the conditions. The Transylvania Open is very well regarded. It wasn’t by chance that it was voted one of the best WTA 250 tournaments in the world. This year’s edition is at least as good as previous ones, maybe even better.”
Jaqueline is also pleased with the strong form in which she and the other Romanian players have arrived in Cluj.
“We’re all coming in good form — me, Gabi, and Sorana. The fact that Ana received a wildcard is another plus. We also have a junior player, Ruxandra Bertea, and I believe this tournament and this experience will help her a lot, because it’s the moment when she truly understands what this level is about. Everything is very well set up.”
