Raducanu will play without fans at the Transylvania Open

Emma Raducanu was very excited to travel to the country where her father was born in order to play in front of Romanian fans that claim the Brit as their own. However, that won't be happening this year as the organizers of the Translyvania Open in Cluj-Napoca decided against allowing fans to be present at the event.

The reason is a recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the country which is a direct consequence of the low vaccination percentage in the country. Romania ranks among the least vaccinated countries in Europe with only 30 % of the adult population fully vaccinated. The decision was announced in a statement posted on the event's social media page.

It said:

"Due to a last moment government decision, we are sadly forced to host Transylvania Open without any fans," the statement read. "We did our absolute best to be prepared with the safest possible event in these special circumstances, following all the rules and the safety procedures, and we were confident in our ability to deliver it. "Now we are incredibly sad to not have you, our friends, in the stands."

Raducanu herself did not comment on the news but she did say when commiting to play at the event:

"I am extremely excited to play at the Transylvania Open, in front of Romanian fans."