Sherif claims second WTA title as Badosa retires injured in Iasi final

Mayar Sherif completed an impressive run on clay by lifting the Iasi Open trophy on Monday, after Paula Badosa was forced to retire injured during the second set of the final in Romania.

The championship match, postponed by one day due to rain, ended with Sherif leading 6-4, 4-0 after one hour and 12 minutes. The Egyptian broke her opponent's serve three times in the opening set, before racing into a commanding lead in the second, when Badosa announced that she was unable to continue.

Sherif's victory sealed her second singles crown on the WTA Tour and first since prevailing in Parma in 2022. The triumph also capped a remarkable stretch on clay, where she extended her winning streak to 15 matches after claiming lower-level WTA 125 titles in Brescia and Contrexeville, before topping the podium in Iasi. The 30-year-old also improved her head-to-head record against Badosa to 2-1.

Badosa had entered the final in strong form, riding a nine-match winning streak after capturing the WTA 125 title in Bastad and advancing to the championship contest in Iasi. The Spaniard was seeking her fifth trophy on the WTA Tour, but instead finished as runner-up for the first time, after winning each of her previous four finals.

The result also gave Sherif a significant boost in the updated WTA rankings, as she jumped 42 places to World No. 55 following her title-winning campaign, while Badosa climbed 22 spots to 93rd after advancing to the final.