Emma Raducanu cruised past Belgium’s Greet Minnen at the Transylvania Open, recording her first match victory since parting ways with coach Francisco Roig. The British No 1, seeded top in Cluj-Napoca, dismissed Minnen 6-0 6-4 in a confident performance that suggested a refreshed approach following the coaching change.
Raducanu, 23, arrived in Romania with former British professional Alexis Canter alongside her as coach and looked relaxed throughout. She wrapped up the opening set in just 25 minutes and broke early in the second as Minnen raised her level, then closed out the win to set up a second-round meeting with Slovenia’s world No 97 Kaja Juvan.
The victory comes after a difficult period: Raducanu prematurely ended her 2025 season because of injury and illness, had a slow start to 2026 with a single United Cup defeat and a quarter-final exit in Hobart, and reached only the second round at the Australian Open, where she beat Mananchaya Sawangkaew before losing to Anastasia Potapova.
Post-match she said she was very happy with the display, praising the aggressive tennis and the indoor conditions, and acknowledged the crowd’s support — including former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, who is an honorary tournament ambassador. Raducanu also addressed fans in Romanian after the match.
Her immediate schedule sees her heading to the Middle East for WTA 1000 events in Doha (Feb 8-14) and Dubai (Feb 16-22), then on to Indian Wells and the Miami Open in March.
Commenting on Raducanu’s recent career decisions, Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend noted she has spent much of her young career re-evaluating her game and support team. That ongoing process helps explain the frequent coaching changes and reflects the challenge of finding the right balance on and off court.
A quick recap of the coaches Raducanu has worked with since her breakthrough:
– Nigel Sears: Joined April 2021; helped her reach the Wimbledon fourth round.
– Andrew Richardson: Guided her during the run to the historic 2021 US Open title.
– Torben Beltz: Kerber’s former coach; worked with Raducanu for about five months before April 2022.
– Dmitry Tursunov: Short trial in summer 2022; later declined to continue.
– Sebastian Sachs: Joined late 2022; partnership ended when Raducanu required surgeries.
– Nick Cavaday: Her longest stint at 14 months, helped her return to the top 60 before stepping down in early 2025.
– Vlado Platenik: Hired on a brief trial in March 2025; lasted around two weeks.
– Mark Petchey: Provided tactical input through Wimbledon.
– Francisco Roig: Appointed August 2025; offered elite tactical clarity but the partnership ended after the Australian Open in January 2026.
In other British success, Sonay Kartal continued her strong week in Abu Dhabi by beating Cristina Bucsa 6-3 7-6 (10-8) after surviving a late comeback and a tense tiebreak. Kartal, who came through qualifying, now faces top seed Belinda Bencic in the round of 16.