Mayar Sherif is a WTA champion for the second time. The Egyptian picked up the Iași Open title on Sunday after Paula Badosa was forced to retire in the second set of a rain-delayed final in Romania.
How Mayar Sherif Took Control of the Iași Open Final
Sherif set the tone early, trading service breaks with Badosa before pulling ahead with a crucial seventh-game break to pocket the first set 6-4. She only grew sharper from there, opening up a 4-0 gap in the second before Badosa called it quits just over an hour into the match.
The WTA 250 trophy is the latest in a dominant clay-court stretch for Sherif. She hasn't lost on the surface in 15 matches, a run fueled by consecutive WTA 125 wins in Brescia and Contrexeville. Her last tour-level title came at Parma in 2022, and she now leads Badosa 2-1 in their head-to-head.
Sherif and Paula Badosa Climb WTA Rankings After Iași Open
The result shook up the latest WTA scores and rankings for both players. Sherif jumped 24 spots to No. 73, and Badosa still gained 22 places to reach No. 93 despite the early exit. The loss ended Badosa's nine-match winning run, but the former world No. 2 heads into the second-half of summer with renewed momentum.
For Sherif, though, the title is proof that few players on tour can match her on clay right now.
