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Emma Raducanu says Transylvania Open will be ‘special moment’ to play in father’s home country

  • Event will see her play in father’s homeland Romania alongside one of her tennis role models Simona Halep
  • British No 1 has been handed wild card and bye into second round of Indian Wells, where she will be 18th seed

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Britain's Emma Raducanu reacts after winning her 2021 US Open women's singles final against Canada's Leylah Fernandez. Photo: AFP

US Open champion Emma Raducanu is set to make her return to the court at Indian Wells next week where the 18-year-old will be the No 18 seed but further afield she is “extremely excited” for the Transylvania Open.

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“I am extremely excited to play at the Transylvania Open, in front of Romanian fans,” she said, as reported by Romania’s Actual de Cluj website.

“My father is from Romania, so to participate for the first time in a WTA competition in the country where he was born is a special moment and I can’t wait to get to Cluj!”

Raducanu, whose father Ian is Romanian and her mother Renee is Chinese, will play in the WTA 250 event at the BT Arena from October 23-31.

She will be joined there by one of her tennis idols, Romanian star Simona Halep, who she had described as a role model along with China’s Li Na.

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Raducanu has already promised her growning number of fans in China that she will play there next year, when international sporting events are expected to resume in the country.
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