Transylvania Open Past Champions (2021-2025)
Since its inception in 2021, the Transylvania Open has rapidly evolved from a late-season addition to one of the most anticipated stops on the WTA 250 calendar. Held at the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, the tournament is celebrated for its unique atmosphere—often featuring vampire-themed aesthetics and “Dracula’s chair” for the champions—and its fast indoor hard courts that reward aggressive, high-stakes tennis.
Below is a retrospective of the singles and doubles champions who have defined the first five years of this prestigious Romanian event.
2021: The Anett Kontaveit Surge
The inaugural edition of the Transylvania Open in October 2021 was defined by one of the most remarkable late-season runs in tennis history. Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit arrived in Cluj-Napoca needing a title to secure the final spot in the WTA Finals. In a high-pressure championship match, she faced the ultimate local hero: former World No. 1 Simona Halep. Kontaveit delivered a masterclass, winning 6–2, 6–3 to claim her fourth title in just ten weeks. This victory propelled her into the Top 10 for the first time and marked her as the first Estonian to ever qualify for the season-ending championships.
In doubles, the local crowd had plenty to celebrate as Romania’s Irina Bara teamed up with Georgia’s Ekaterine Gorgodze to defeat Aleksandra Krunić and Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove in a thrilling match-tiebreak (4–6, 6–1, [11–9]).
2022: The Qualifier’s Dream
The 2022 tournament proved that rankings are just numbers in Cluj. Anna Blinkova entered the tournament as a qualifier, ranked outside the top 130. However, she produced a week of inspired tennis, culminating in a three-set victory over Italy’s Jasmine Paolini (6–2, 3–6, 6–2). This marked Blinkova’s first career WTA singles title, making her the fifth qualifier to win a tour-level title that season.
The doubles crown went to the veteran pairing of Kirsten Flipkens and Laura Siegemund, who used their extensive experience to overcome Kamilla Rakhimova and Yana Sizikova 6–3, 7–5.
2023: Korpatsch’s Breakthrough
The 2023 edition was a tournament of “firsts” and emotional home-soil battles. Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch reached her first career WTA final and walked away with the trophy after defeating Romanian wildcard Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6–3, 6–4. While Ruse struggled with an ankle injury during the match—at one point famously resorting to underhand serves to stay in the contest—Korpatsch remained composed to secure her maiden 250-level title.
In doubles, Jodie Burrage and Jil Teichmann dominated the field, capped by a 6–1, 6–4 victory in the final against Léolia Jeanjean and Valeriya Strakhova.
2024: Plíšková Ends the Drought
By 2024, the tournament had shifted its dates to February, becoming a key indoor event early in the season. Former World No. 1 Karolína Plíšková chose Cluj-Napoca as the place to reignite her career. Having not won a title since 2020, the Czech star looked invincible, navigating the entire week without dropping a single set. In the final, she defeated Romanian fan-favorite Ana Bogdan 6–4, 6–3, capturing her 17th career title and reasserting her status as an elite competitor.
The doubles title was secured by the American duo Caty McNally and Asia Muhammad, who defeated Harriet Dart and Tereza Mihalíková 6–3, 6–4.
2025: Top Seed Dominance
In the most recent edition, Anastasia Potapova entered as the tournament’s top seed and lived up to the billing. However, her path to the trophy was far from easy. In a grueling final that lasted over two hours, Potapova had to battle back from a set down to defeat the unseeded Italian Lucia Bronzetti 4–6, 6–1, 6–2. The win marked Potapova’s third career singles title and underscored her resilience on the indoor surface.
The 2025 doubles title went to Magali Kempen and Anna Sisková, who delivered a commanding 6–3, 6–1 performance against the local pair Jaqueline Cristian and Angelica Moratelli.
As the Transylvania Open moves toward its 2026 edition, these champions have established a legacy of competitive variety—from qualifying miracles to the resurgence of former world number ones—ensuring the event remains a crown jewel of Romanian sports.
Table of Champions
Past Finals – Singles
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Anastasia Potapova | Lucia Bronzetti (Italy) | 4–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 2024 | Karolína Plíšková (Czech Republic) | Ana Bogdan (Romania) | 6–4, 6–3 |
| 2023 | Tamara Korpatsch (Germany) | Elena-Gabriela Ruse (Romania) | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2022 | Anna Blinkova | Jasmine Paolini (Italy) | 6–2, 3–6, 6–2 |
| 2021 | Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) | Simona Halep (Romania) | 6–2, 6–3 |
Past Finals – Doubles
| Year | Champions | Runners-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Magali Kempen Anna Sisková | Jaqueline Cristian Angelica Moratelli | 6–3, 6–1 |
| 2024 | Caty McNally Asia Muhammad | Harriet Dart Tereza Mihalíková | 6–3, 6–4 |
| 2023 | Jodie Burrage Jil Teichmann | Léolia Jeanjean Valeriya Strakhova | 6–1, 6–4 |
| 2022 | Kirsten Flipkens Laura Siegemund | Kamilla Rakhimova Yana Sizikova | 6–3, 7–5 |
| 2021 | Irina Bara Ekaterine Gorgodze | Aleksandra Krunić Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove | 4–6, 6–1, [11–9] |
