Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter Are Both Through to Finals!
Locker Room
February 6, 2026
Emma Raducanu produced a truly gritty display to reach the final of the Transylvania Open in the land of her father’s birth.
She’s seeking her first title since winning the US Open back in 2021. And now superstar Emma is within touching distance.
Emma said: ‘I’m proud of how I competed and how I came back in the third set. It’s an incredible feeling. I really feel at home here.
‘I had to get really gritty and I’m proud of the way I came through.’
Under pressure as number one seed in Romania, Raducanu eventually saw off Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in a gruelling contest.
She squandered three match points before finally forcing her way over the line in a scrap lasting nearly three hours.
And Katie Boulter has reached her own showpiece in Ostrava by defeating America’s Katie Volynets by an even more convincing 6-1, 6-3.
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter will thrill the Centre Court crowds at Wimbledon 2026 given half a chance.
They will both be desperate to go deep at their home Slam. But for now it’s all about making their mark in Eastern Europe.
And both British women have definitely already done that in swashbuckling style. They have both shaken off Australian Open disappointment with final appearances straight afterwards.
As is often the case, Emma chose to do it the hard way, though. She served for the first set at 5-4 but squandered the opportunity to close out.
Raducanu then took an injury time-out to get medical attention on her sore right shoulder. But she came storming out to take the opener with some crushing stroke play.
We thought she had finally broken the Ukrainian’s spirit at 3-1 up in the second.
But Oliynykova, who sported temporary bat tattoos on her cheeks in honour of the local Dracula legend, came fighting back to win the next five games.
The underdog’s looping forehands proved a nuisance for Emma as they sucked the life out of her momentum.
But after leaving the court, Raducanu reappeared with a stunning return of her rhythm.
In fact the favourite went into beast mode to drag herself to the verge of victory. A character totally transformed in Transylvania.
Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter will need this kind of aggression when they play at Wimbledon 2026!
But Emma did wobble again at the death to add to the impossible drama. Somehow she was 5-2, 40-0 up and still let her adversary back into the fray.
It took a lot of mental strength to forget that horror show, regain her composure and close out at long last. Two devastating drop shots helped her get the job done.
And that’s just the kind of extra variety she needs in her game going forward this year.
Will you be there to watch Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter at close quarters this European summer?
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