Raluca Olaru

Raluca Olaru

Raluca Olaru at the 2009 US Open
Country (sports)	Romania
Residence	Bucharest
Born	(1989-03-03) 3 March 1989 Bucharest
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro	2003
Plays	Right-handed (two–handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 936,952
Singles
Career record	258–185
Career titles	0 WTA, 11 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 53 (27 July 2009)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	1R (2008, 2010)
French Open	3R (2007)
Wimbledon	2R (2009, 2010)
US Open	2R (2007, 2008)
Doubles
Career record	211–145
Career titles	5 WTA, 15 ITF
Highest ranking	No. 44 (28 September 2015)
Current ranking	No. 45 (8 February 2016)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2010, 2014)
French Open	1R (2008, 2010, 2014)
Wimbledon	2R (2013)
US Open	3R (2015)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	6–9
Last updated on: 8 February 2016.

Olaru plays at Wimbledon 2013

Ioana Raluca Olaru (born 3 March 1989) is a Romanian tennis player. The winner of nine singles and six doubles ITF Circuit titles,^[1] Olaru reached one WTA Tour singles final, at the 2009 Gastein Ladies,^[2] losing to Andrea Petkovic 6–2, 6–3.^[3] She has also won two doubles titles, at the 2008 Tashkent Open and 2013 Nürnberger Versicherungscup.

Olaru was a successful junior player. She was the runner–up in both singles and doubles at the 2005 French Open,^[4] and captured the 2006 US Open doubles title along with Mihaela Buzărnescu. Her best professional grand slam result so far has been the third round of the 2007 French Open, when she defeated the 30th seed Julia Vakulenko in straight sets and lost to eventual runner–up, the 7th seed Ana Ivanovic.^[5] Olaru reached her highest singles ranking, World No. 53, on 27 July 2009, and her highest doubles ranking, No. 44, on 28 September 2015.^[1]

Personal life

Ioana Raluca Olaru currently resides in her hometown Bucharest.^[6] Her parents, Adrian and Doina, run a convenience store together.^[7] Her sister Cristina is sixteen years older than Olaru, and lives in London.^[7] Olaru began playing tennis aged seven,^[6] and cites Kim Clijsters,^[8] Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer as her role models.^[7] She graduated from school in 2007, and is fluent in Romanian, English, French and Spanish.^[8]

Playing style

Olaru considers being a fighter as her biggest asset.^[7] She cites clay as her favourite surface^[6] and backhand down the line as favourite shot,^[8] but she can play well on all surfaces and she likes mixing up her game with drop shots.^[7] Olaru is currently coached by former player Michael Schapers.^[8]

WTA career finals

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	26 July 2009	Gastein Ladies, Bad Gastein, Austria	Clay	Andrea Petkovic	2–6, 3–6

Doubles: 12 (5 titles, 7 runners-up)

Result	No.	Date	Category	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1.	5 July 2008	International	Budapest Grand Prix, Budapest, Hungary	Clay	Vanessa Henke	Alizé Cornet Janette Husárová	7–6(7–5), 1–6, [6–10]
Winner	1.	5 October 2008	International	Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan	Hard	Olga Savchuk	Nina Bratchikova Kathrin Wörle	5–7, 7–5, [10–7]
Winner	2.	26 February 2011	International	Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Acapulco, Mexico	Hard	Mariya Koryttseva	Arantxa Parra Santonja Lourdes Domínguez Lino	5–7, 7–5, [10–7]
Runner-up	2.	14 April 2013	International	BNP Paribas Katowice Open, Katowice, Poland	Clay (i)	Valeria Solovyeva	Lara Arruabarrena Lourdes Domínguez Lino	4-6, 5-7
Winner	3.	15 June 2013	International	Nürnberger Versicherungscup, Nurnberg, Germany	Clay	Valeria Solovyeva	Anna-Lena Grönefeld Květa Peschke	2-6, 7-6(7-3), [11-9]
Runner-up	3.	24 May 2014	International	Nürnberger Versicherungscup, Nurnberg, Germany	Clay	Shahar Peer	Michaëlla Krajicek Karolína Plíšková	0–6, 6–4, [6–10]
Runner-up	4.	27 July 2014	International	Baku Cup, Baku, Azerbaijan	Hard	Shahar Peer	Alexandra Panova Heather Watson	2-6, 6-7(3-7)
Winner	4.	12 October 2014	International	Generali Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria	Hard (i)	Anna Tatishvili	Annika Beck Caroline Garcia	6-2, 6-1
Runner-up	5.	23 May 2015	International	Nürnberger Versicherungscup, Nürnberg, Germany	Clay	Lara Arruabarrena	Chan Hao-ching Anabel Medina Garrigues	4–6, 6–7(5–7)
Runner-up	6.	29 April 2016	International	Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem, Rabat, Morocco	Clay	Tatjana Maria	Xenia Knoll Aleksandra Krunić	3–6, 0–6
Runner-up	7.	30 May 2016	125K series	Croatian Bol Ladies Open, Bol, Croatia	Clay	İpek Soylu	Xenia Knoll Petra Martić	3–6, 2–6
Winner	5.	1 October 2016	International	Tashkent Open, Tashkent, Uzbekistan	Hard	İpek Soylu	Demi Schuurs Renata Voráčová	7–5, 6–3

ITF Finals

Singles 18 (11-7)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1.	August 16, 2004	Iași, Romania	Clay	Monica Niculescu	6–7, 0–6
Winner	2.	April 24, 2005	Herceg Novi, Serbia	Clay	Miljana Adanko	7–5, 7–6(2)
Winner	3.	July 19, 2005	Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Anna Bastrikova	6–3, 6–2
Winner	4.	August 2, 2005	Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Mădălina Gojnea	7–6(3), 7–5
Winner	5.	May 2, 2006	Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Sorana Cîrstea	1–6, 6–4, 6–1
Winner	6.	May 7, 2006	Rabat, Morocco	Clay	Samia Medjahdi	6–2, 2–6, 7–5
Runner-up	7.	July 3, 2006	Mont-de-Marsan, France	Clay	Nina Bratchikova	4–6, 6–4, 0–6
Winner	8.	November 7, 2006	Toronto, Canada	Hard(i)	Carly Gullickson	6–3, 6–1
Winner	9.	April 23, 2007	Torrent, Spain	Clay	Andrea Petkovic	6–4, 5–7, 6–4
Runner-up	10.	April 30, 2007	Catania, Italy	Clay	Darya Kustova	3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Winner	11.	July 14, 2008	Contrexéville, France	Clay	Stéphanie Foretz Gacon	6–4, 6–2
Winner	12.	June 8, 2009	Marseille, France	Clay	Maša Zec Peškirič	6–7(4), 7–5, 6–4
Winner	13.	July 25, 2011	Bad Saulgau, Germany	Clay	Tatjana Maria	6–3, 3–6, 7–5
Runner-up	14.	April 9, 2012	Pomezia, Italy	Clay	Aliaksandra Sasnovich	6–0, 1–6, 1–6
Runner-up	15.	October 22, 2012	Brasília, Brazil	Clay	Timea Bacsinszky	5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	16.	November 2, 2012	Asunción, Paraguay	Clay	Verónica Cepede Royg	7–5, 6–7, 2–6
Runner-up	17.	January 21, 2013	Eilat, İsrael	Hard	Alla Kudryavtseva	7–6(4), 3–6, 2–6
Winner	18.	February 25, 2013	Antalya, Turkey	Clay	Jovana Jakšić	6–3, 7–5

Doubles: 30 (15-15)

Outcome	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1.	14 June 2004	Brașov, Romania	Clay	Lenore Lăzăroiu	Corina Corduneanu Alexandra Iacob	4–6, 5–7
Runner-up	2.	23 August 2004	Timișoara, Romania	Clay	Lenore Lăzăroiu	Sorana Cîrstea Gabriela Niculescu	1–6, 6–2, 2–6
Winner	1.	27 September 2004	Cluj-Napoca, Romania	Clay	Corina Corduneanu	Veronika Raimrová Anamaria Sere	4–6, 6–0, 6–4
Winner	2.	27 April 2005	Herceg Novi, Montenegro	Clay	Antonia Xenia Tout	Aleksandra Lukič Patricia Vollmeier	6–4, 4–1 ret.
Winner	3.	25 July 2005	Arad, Romania	Clay	Corina Corduneanu	Anna Bastrikova Vasilisa Davydova	6–1, 6–4
Winner	4.	7 August 2005	Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Corina Corduneanu	Bianca Ioana Bonifate Sorana Cîrstea	6–1, 6–1
Winner	5.	9 April 2006	Makarska, Croatia	Clay	Antonia Xenia Tout	Johanna Larsson Nadja Roma	6–4, 7–5
Runner-up	3.	7 May 2006	Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Simona Matei	Sorana Cîrstea Gabriela Niculescu	4–6, 6–0, 6–7(3–7)
Runner–up	4.	7 May 2006	Rabat, Morocco	Clay	María Fernanda Álvarez Terán	Bahia Mouhtassine Émilie Bacquet	W/O
Winner	6.	3 July 2006	Mont-de-Marsan, France	Clay	Margalita Chakhnashvili	Akgul Amanmuradova Nina Bratchikova	7–5, 1–6, 6–1
Runner–up	5.	13 August 2006	Hechingen, Germany	Clay	Kristina Antoniychuk	Eva Fislová Stanislava Hrozenská	3–6, 7–6(7–3), 3–6
Runner–up	6.	11 November 2006	Toronto, Canada	Hard (i)	Heidi El Tabakh	Angelika Bachmann Hana Šromová	4–6, 1–6
Winner	7.	11 September 2010	Biella, Italy	Clay	Mariya Koryttseva	Andreja Klepač Aurélie Védy	7–5, 6–4
Runner–up	7.	20 September 2010	Saint Malo, France	Clay	Mariya Koryttseva	Petra Cetkovská Lucie Hradecká	4–6, 2–6
Runner-up	8.	16 September 2011	Sofia, Bulgaria	Clay	Alexandra Cadanțu	Nina Bratchikova Darija Jurak	4–6, 5–7
Winner	8.	15 January 2012	Innisbrook, United States	Clay	Darya Kustova	Gioia Barbieri Nadejda Guskova	6–3, 6–1
Runners-up	9.	11 February 2012	Cali, Colombia	Clay	Alexandra Cadanțu	Karin Knapp Mandy Minella	4–6, 3–6
Winner	9.	21 April 2012	Civitavecchia, Italy	Clay	Elena Bogdan	Claudia Giovine Marina Shamayko	6–3, 7–5
Winner	10.	27 April 2012	Tunis, Tunisia	Clay	Elena Bogdan	Inés Ferrer Suárez Richèl Hogenkamp	6–4, 6–3
Runner-up	10.	19 May 2012	Casablanca, Morocco	Clay	Elena Bogdan	Olga Savchuk Renata Voráčová	1–6, 4–6
Runner-up	11.	21 July 2012	Bucharest, Romania	Clay	Elena Bogdan	Irina-Camelia Begu Alizé Cornet	2–6, 0–6
Winner	11.	1 September 2012	Mamaia, Romania	Clay	Elena Bogdan	Danka Kovinić Tadeja Majerič	7–6(7–4), 6–3
Runner-up	12.	10 September 2012	Sofia, Bulgaria	Clay	Marina Melnikova	Katarzyna Piter Barbara Sobaszkiewicz	5–7, 1–6
Winner	12.	27 October 2012	Brasília, Brazil	Clay	Elena Bogdan	Timea Bacsinszky Julia Cohen	6–3, 3–6, [10–8]
Winner	13.	4 November 2012	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Clay	Elena Bogdan	María Fernanda Álvarez Terán Maria Fernanda Alves	1–6, 6–2, [10–7]
Winner	14.	21 January 2013	Eilat, Israel	Hard	Alla Kudryavtseva	Ilona Kremen Pemra Özgen	6–3, 6–3
Runner-up	13.	28 October 2013	Barnstaple, United Kingdom	Hard (i)	Tamira Paszek	Naomi Broady Kristýna Plíšková	3–6, 6–3, [5–10]
Winner	15.	21 June 2015	Ilkley, United Kingdom	Grass	Xu Yifan	An-Sophie Mestach Demi Schuurs	6–3, 6–4
Runner–up	14.	14 August 2015	Vancouver, Canada	Hard	Anna Tatishvili	Johanna Konta Maria Sanchez	6–7(5–7), 4–6
Runner–up	15.	23 September 2016	St. Petersburg, Russia	Hard (i)	Alena Tarasova	Maria Marfutina Anna Morgina	2–6, 3–6

Singles performance timeline

Head-to-Head record against other players

• Venus Williams 0-2
• Caroline Wozniacki 1-0
• Ana Ivanovic 0-2
• Maria Sharapova 0-1
• Victoria Azarenka 0-1

WTA Tour career earnings

*As of June 29, 2015

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ioana Raluca Olaru.

• Raluca Olaru at the Women's Tennis Association
• Raluca Olaru at the International Tennis Federation
• Raluca Olaru activity at Tenis Romania website
• Raluca Olaru at the Fed Cup
  

Women's Tennis Association: Top Romanian female doubles tennis players as of 14 November 2016
1. Monica Niculescu (19 ) 2. Raluca Olaru (73 ) 3. Andreea Mitu (77 ) 4. Simona Halep (124 ) 5. Alexandra Cadanțu (128 )
6. Irina Maria Bara (151 ) 7. Patricia Maria Țig (155 ) 8. Irina-Camelia Begu (168 ) 9. Mihaela Buzărnescu (198 ) 10. Elena Bogdan (212 )