Emma Raducanu’s first final in over four years came to a disappointing end at the Transylvania Open, but there are plenty of reasons to be positive for the British star.
Raducanu lost heavily to Sorana Cirstea in the final, where she won just two games against the home favourite.
The British number one looked out of sorts, and Raducanu later confirmed she was dealing with health issues in the WTA final.
Despite the comprehensive defeat, Raducanushould take inspiration from her first final appearance since 2021 and use the Transylvania Open as a blueprint of what to do for the rest of the season.
The Transylvania Open was proof that Raducanu was a cut above most of the players ranked outside of the top 50, and she will undeniably lift more trophies if she keeps playing 250 events.
The star should unapologetically focus on the lesser tournaments, particularly when it comes to grass court season.
The star’s ranking will not diminish either if she continues to perform the way she did in Romania, having earned 163 ranking points.
Raducanu is up to world number 25 in the WTA Tour rankings, having jumped five spaces after reaching the final.
Playing the bigger events is not currently working for Emma Raducanu
Raducanu, for the most part, has still stuck around the Masters events, but the lack of match practice is clearly affecting her.
The British number plays two or three games maximum when she plays the top events, and it’s not helping her develop her fitness.