After reaching the semifinals at the Citi Open, Emma Raducanu is looking for another deep run in Montreal. Her first rival will be a close friend and someone she knows well, Elena-Gabriela Ruse, a Romanian player that is currently on the Top 58 in the WTA rankings.
“We started to be friends, she’s a nice person,” Ruse told the Guardian in 2021, about Raducanu. “I enjoy the time with her so much. She is speaking really good Romanian but she’s so shy to do it.”
Following a joint training session and dinner during the 2021 Transylvania Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Raducanu and Ruse later faced off in an exhibition match at London’s Royal Albert Hall that same year.
As Ruse is the first rival of Raducanu, who has been showcasing great tennis in the past few weeks, in Montreal, here’s everything you need to know about this player. Check out her age, height, coach and highlights.
Elena-Gabriela Ruse during the 2025 French Open (Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
How old is Ruse?
Elena-Gabriela Ruse is 27 years old. She was born on November 6, 1997, in Bucharest, Romania.
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Ruse’s height
According to the official WTA website, Ruse is 5 feet and 8 inches tall (1.73m). She is around the average height of the players in the WTA Tour, which is 5 feet 10 inches tall.
Ruse’s family
Ruse comes from a sporting background. Her father was a soccer player and her mother is a former gymnast. On the other hand, she has named fellow Romanian Simona Halep as her tennis idol.
Ruse’s career highlights
Ruse won her first and only WTA singles title in Hamburg in 2021, defeating Andrea Petkovic in the final. She has also finished runner-up at three WTA 250 tournaments: the 2021 Palermo Open (clay), the 2023 Transylvania Open (indoor hard), and the 2025 Libema Open (grass). In doubles, she reached a WTA final in Bucharest (2019) and captured a WTA 125 title in Hong Kong in 2024 with Monica Niculescu.
Elena Gabriela-Ruse at Auckland (Getty Images)
Ruse’s coach
Ruse is currently coached by Calin Ciorbagiu. She previously worked with Andrei Lulian Vespan during earlier stages of her career.
Head-to-head with Raducanu
Ruse and Emma Raducanu have faced each other once before, in the opening round of the 2024 Auckland Open. Raducanu won the tightly contested match 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, marking her return to competition after an eight-month injury layoff that included surgeries on both wrists and her left ankle.
