More on Begu...
Personal
Coached by Gabriel Moraru
Mother's name is Steluta (civil servant); father's name is Paul (electrician); brother is Andrei
Started playing tennis at age 3 with aunt, who was a coach
Did gymnastics and played handball when younger
Idol growing up was Martina Hingis
Best early tennis memory was winning European 16 & Under title in 2006
Favorite city is New York; favorite tournament was Marbella
Career Highlights
SINGLES
Winner (4): 2017 - Bucharest; 2016 - Florianopolis; 2015 - Seoul; 2012 - Tashkent.
Finalist (4): 2021 - Cleveland; 2014 - Moscow; 2011 - Marbella, Budapest.
DOUBLES
Winner (9): 2019 - Hua Hin (w/Niculescu); 2018 - Shenzhen (w/Halep), Bucharest (w/Mitu); 2017 - Bucharest (w/Olaru), Tianjin (w/Errani); 2014 - Rio de Janeiro (w/Irigoyen), Seoul (w/Arruabarrena); 2013 - 's-Hertogenbosch (w/Medina Garrigues); 2012 - Hobart (w/Niculescu).
Finalist (7): 2018 - Eastbourne (w/Buzarnescu), Tashkent (w/Olaru); 2015 - Rio de Janeiro (w/Irigoyen), Wuhan, Moscow (both w/Niculescu); 2012 - Fès (w/Cadantu), Luxembourg (w/Niculescu).
WTA 125 SERIES TITLES
2020 - 125/Indian Wells.
ADDITIONAL
Romanian Fed Cup Team, 2010, 2012, 2014-19; Romanian Olympic Team, 2012, 2016.
Career in Review
2021 - Eighth consecutive Top 100 season (No.60); reached her eighth WTA singles final in 2021, finishing as R-Up at Cleveland (l. Kontaveit) in first singles final for over four years, having not contested a title match since 2017 Bucharest; other key results from last year were quarterfinal runs at Gippsland Trophy (l. Osaka), Phillip Island Trophy (l. Andreescu) and Tenerife (l. Li); defeated No.14 Konta at Gippsland Trophy for first Top 20 win in three years, after overcoming No.5 Ostapenko at 2018 Madrid (win over Konta snapped a streak of 11-straight losses vs. Top 20 opponents)
2020 - Seventh consecutive Top 100 season (No.76); shortly after Tour's resumption in August 2020, made first WTA SF in over two years at Prague (l. eventual champion Halep); win over No.43 Sevastova in 1r was first over a Top 50 player since 2018 Roland Garros; also reached 2r at Roland Garros in September (l. Halep).
2019 - Sixth consecutive Top 100 season (finishing No.99); QF at Hobart (l. to Schmiedlova), Budapest (l. to Vondrousova) and Bucharest (l. to Siegemund); reached 3r once (Roland Garros) and 2r three times (incl. Australian Open); fell 1r nine times and in qualfying twice (Wimbledon and US Open); won one WTA doubles title.
2018 - Seventh Top 100 season (finishing No.66); SF at Shenzhen (l. to Halep) and Istanbul (l. to Parmentier); QF at Seoul (l. to Sakkari); reached 3r twice (incl. Roland Garros) and 2r seven times (incl. US Open); fell 1r 13 times incl. other two majors); won two WTA doubles titles.
2017 - Notched fourth consecutive Top 50 year-end finish in 2017 (2014-17), finishing at No.43 in the WTA Rankings; Romania's No.3, behind Halep and Cirstea, of five women in year-end Top 100; captured fourth singles title of career, and first clay-court title at 2017 Bucharest (d. Goerges in final); SF twice at Istanbul (l. to Mertens) and Moscow (l. to Kasatkina); QF at Charleston (l. to Kasatkina); reached 3r twice and 2r four times (incl. Australian Open and Wimbledon); fell 1r 13 times (incl. Roland Garros and US Open).
2016 - First Top 30 season (finishing No.29); won one WTA title at Florianopolis (d. Sasnovich in final); SF once at Rome (l. to S.Williams); QF twice at Charleston (l. to Kerber) and Madrid (l. to Halep); reached 4r twice (incl. Roland Garros) and 2r five times; fell 1r 10 times (incl. other three majors and Olympics).
2015 - Best season to date (finishing No.31); won one WTA title at Seoul (d. Sasnovich in final); SF at Rio de Janeiro (l. to Schmiedlova); QF three times at Charleston (l. to Kerber), Madrid (l. to Kvitova) and Washington DC (l. to Makarova); reached 4r once (Australian Open), 3r four times (incl. Roland Garros and Wimbledon) and 2r four times; fell 1r seven times (incl. US Open and Birmingham - l. to Hantuchova 46 76(10) 64; held 1mp at 8-7 in second set tie-break) and in qualifying once; set career-high No.25 on October 12 (after Beijing); withdrew from Acapulco, Monterrey and Indian Wells w/right rib injury.
2014 - Another Top 50 season (finishing No.42); runner-up at Moscow (l. to Pavlyuchenkova); SF at Oeiras (l. to Suárez Navarro); QF at Rio de Janeiro (l. to Pereira); reached 2r five times (incl. Wimbledon and US Open); fell 1r seven times (incl. Australian Open) and in qualifying five times (incl. Roland Garros); won two WTA doubles titles; won three singles titles and two doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
2013 - Injury-marred season (finishing No.124); QF at Seoul; reached 2r eight times (incl. Australian Open); fell 1r eight times (incl. other three majors) and in qualifying three times; won one WTA doubles title; struggled w/right shoulder injury throughout season (withdrew from Marrakech, Oeiras, Brussels and Nürnberg).
2012 - Near-Top 50 season (finishing No.52); won one WTA title at Tashkent (d. Vekic in final); SF three times at Acapulco (l. to Pennetta), Palermo (l. to Errani) and Linz (l. to Azarenka); QF at Fès; reached 2r six times (incl. Roland Garros, US Open and 's-Hertogenbosch - l. to Schiavone 62 26 76(8); held 8mp in tie-break - 6mp at 6-0 and 2mp at 7-6 and 8-7); fell 1r nine times (incl. Australian Open, Wimbledon and Olympics) and in qualifying twice; won one WTA doubles title; won one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
2011 - First Top 50 season (finishing No.40); runner-up twice at Marbella (l. to Azarenka in final) and Budapest (l. to Vinci in final); SF at Dallas (l. to Lisicki); QF at Palermo; reached 2r three times (incl. Roland Garros); fell 1r four times (incl. Wimbledon, US Open) and in qualifying twice (incl. Australian Open); made Top 100 debut on April 11 (rose from No.138 to No.97) and Top 50 debut on July 25 (rose from No.56 to No.46).
2010 - Fell 1r once and in qualifying twice (incl. Wimbledon); won one singles title and five doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
2009 - Played first WTA main draw at Budapest, falling 1r (as LL, l. to Peer); fell in qualifying six times (incl. Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open).
2008 - Won four singles titles and five doubles titles on ITF Circuit.
2007 - Won one singles title and one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
2006 - Won one doubles title on ITF Circuit.
2005 - Played first events of career on ITF Circuit in Romania.
SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
Get official communications from the WTA and ATP, delivered straight to your e-mail! We’ll keep you informed on all you need to know across the Tours, including news, players, tournaments, features, competitions, offers and more.
Will be used in accordance with the WTA Privacy Policy and the ATP Privacy Policy