Irina-Camelia Begu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Irina-Camelia Begu

Begu at the 2021 French Open
Country (sports)	Romania
Residence	Bucharest, Romania
Born	(1990-08-26) 26 August 1990 (age 34) Bucharest
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro	2005
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Victor Crivoi
Prize money	US$ 8,295,788
Singles
Career record	509–350 (59.25%)
Career titles	5
Highest ranking	No. 22 (22 August 2016)
Current ranking	No. 83 (11 November 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	4R (2015)
French Open	4R (2016, 2022)
Wimbledon	3R (2015, 2021, 2022)
US Open	2R (2012, 2014, 2018, 2022)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2012, 2016, 2024)
Doubles
Career record	287–195 (59.54%)
Career titles	9
Highest ranking	No. 22 (1 October 2018)
Current ranking	No. 1,205 (11 November 2024)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	SF (2018)
French Open	SF (2021)
Wimbledon	QF (2018)
US Open	3R (2015)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2016, 2024)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2017)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	QF (2016)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	15–12 (55.56%)

Irina-Camelia Begu (born on August 26, 1990) is a professional tennis player from Romania. She has achieved great success in her career. She reached her highest singles ranking of world No. 22 in August 2016. Two years later, she also reached No. 22 in doubles.

Irina has won five singles titles and nine doubles titles on the WTA Tour. She also has three singles titles on the WTA Challenger Tour. Plus, she has won 12 singles and 19 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit.

As a junior player, she reached the semifinals at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships in doubles. In her senior career, she continued to do well in Grand Slam doubles. She reached the semifinals at the 2018 Australian Open and the quarterfinals at the 2017 French Open and 2018 Wimbledon Championships. In singles, her best Grand Slam result is reaching the round of 16 at the 2015 Australian Open, 2016 French Open, and 2022 French Open.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Irina-Camelia Begu was born in Bucharest, Romania, on August 26, 1990. Her mother, Steluţa, works for the government, and her father, Paul, is an electrician. She has an older brother named Andrei.

Irina started playing tennis very young, at just three and a half years old. Her aunt, Aurelia Gheorghe, who was also a tennis player, introduced her to the sport. When she was younger, Irina also tried gymnastics and handball. At 14, she joined a special one-month tour by the ITF with other young talents. Her childhood idol in tennis was Martina Hingis.

Career Highlights

Junior Career Achievements

Irina Begu was a top junior player, reaching a world ranking of No. 14 on August 27, 2007, just after her 17th birthday. She started playing on the ITF Junior Circuit in January 2005.

She won her first junior singles title in June 2006 in Mohammedia. She also won three doubles titles on the junior tour. In 2007, she made her first major tournament appearance at the 2007 French Open. At Wimbledon in 2007, she reached the doubles semifinals with her partner Oksana Kalashnikova.

Starting as a Professional (2005–2010)

Begu in 2009

Irina began her professional journey on the ITF Women's Circuit in May 2005. In September 2006, she reached her first ITF final. A year later, she won her first ITF title in Brașov.

In October 2008, she won her first big ITF title at a $50,000 event in Jounieh. By the end of 2008, her ranking had jumped from outside the top 800 to within the top 250. In July 2009, she played her first match on the WTA Tour at the Hungarian Open.

In doubles, she won her first ITF title in July 2006. In May 2009, she won a major $100,000 ITF title in Bucharest with Simona Halep. She also made her WTA Tour doubles debut in 2009.

First WTA Tour Title (2011–2012)

Begu won both the singles and the doubles trophies at Copa Bionaire.

Irina continued to improve on the ITF Circuit. In February 2011, she won her first $100,000 title at the Copa Bionaire. In April, she reached her first WTA Tour final at the 2011 Andalucia Tennis Experience. On her way, she beat top players like Klára Koukalová and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She made her Grand Slam main-draw debut at the 2011 French Open, winning her first major match. She entered the top 100 in April and the top 50 in July 2011.

In 2012, Irina kept moving up. She reached semifinals in Acapulco and Palermo. At the US Open, she achieved a big win, defeating world No. 9, Caroline Wozniacki. In September, she won her first WTA Tour singles title in Tashkent, beating Donna Vekić in the final.

In doubles, she started 2011 by winning a $100,000 title. In January 2012, she won her first WTA Tour doubles title at the Hobart International with Monica Niculescu. They also reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 Australian Open. She entered the top 100 in doubles in February 2011 and the top 50 in January 2012.

Overcoming Challenges (2013–2014)

Begu at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships

The year 2013 was a bit tough for Irina, and her ranking dropped outside the top 100. However, things changed for the better in 2014. She had to play in the qualifying rounds for the 2014 Australian Open but made it into the main draw.

She found success on the ITF Women's Circuit, winning two $25,000 events. In May, she reached the semifinals of the 2014 Portugal Open, beating top players like Kaia Kanepi. In July, she won another $100,000 ITF title. She finished 2014 by reaching the final of the Premier-level 2014 Kremlin Cup. These results helped her climb back into the top 50.

In doubles, she won a title at the 2013 Topshelf Open in June 2013. In February 2014, she won the 2014 Rio Open doubles title. She also reached the third round of the 2014 French Open. In September, she won the doubles title at the 2014 Korea Open.

Rising to the Top 30 (2015–2017)

Begu at the 2016 US Open

Irina made great progress at the 2015 Australian Open, reaching the fourth round for the first time in a Grand Slam. She defeated top 10 player Angelique Kerber. In May, she entered the top 30 in singles for the first time. In September, she won a WTA title at the 2015 Korea Open.

In 2016, she continued her strong play. She reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 Mutua Madrid Open, where she beat world No. 4 Garbiñe Muguruza. She also reached her first Premier 5 semifinal at the Italian Open, defeating Victoria Azarenka. At the 2016 French Open, she reached the fourth round. In August, she won the 2016 Brasil Tennis Cup title. Soon after, she reached her career-high singles ranking of No. 22.

In 2017, she reached the quarterfinals of the 2017 Volvo Car Open. In July, she won the title at the 2017 BRD Bucharest Open without losing a single set. In October, she reached the semifinals of the Premier-level 2017 Kremlin Cup.

In doubles, she reached her first Premier 5 final at the 2015 Wuhan Open in 2015. In 2017, she reached the quarterfinals of the 2017 French Open in doubles. In July 2017, she won the Bucharest Open doubles title. In October, she returned to the top 40 in doubles.

Recent Years (2018–Present)

Begu at the 2019 French Open

In 2018, Irina started the year by winning a doubles title at the Shenzhen Open with Simona Halep. She had a great run at the 2018 Australian Open, reaching her first major doubles semifinal. In singles, she reached the third round of the 2018 French Open. In October 2018, she reached her career-high doubles ranking of No. 22.

In 2019, she reached quarterfinals at the 2019 Hobart International and 2019 Hungarian Ladies Open. In February 2019, she and Monica Niculescu won the doubles title at the Thailand Open.

In February 2020, Irina won the $100,000 Cairo Open. This win helped her get back into the top 100. In March, she won a WTA 125 title at the Indian Wells Challenger.

In 2021, she reached the doubles semifinals at the Italian Open and the 2021 French Open.

In 2022, she had a strong start, reaching the semifinals at the 2022 St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy. At the 2022 French Open, she reached the fourth round, her best result there since 2016. In July, she won her first singles title in five years at the Palermo Ladies Open. In September, she won another WTA 125 title in Bucharest.

Begu hits a forehand in her semifinal at the 2024 Montreux Nestlé Open.

In 2023, she reached the quarterfinals of the 2023 Mutua Madrid Open for the third time. This achievement made her the No. 1 Romanian female player in May 2023. After a break from the WTA Tour, she returned in 2024. She reached the fourth round of the 2024 Italian Open. At the 2024 French Open, she reached the third round.

Begu won the 2024 Montreux Nestlé Open in singles. She also won the 2024 WTA 125 Cali Open title. These wins helped her return to the top 100 in the WTA singles rankings.

Playing for Romania

Begu at the 2012 Fed Cup

Irina has proudly represented Romania at the Olympics.

• At the London Olympics in 2012, she played in singles.
• At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, she competed in singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. She reached the quarterfinals in mixed doubles with Horia Tecău.
• She also played at the Paris Olympics in 2024 in women's doubles.

Career Statistics

Grand Slam Performance Timelines

Singles

Doubles

Awards

2011

• WTA Newcomer of the Year

See also

In Spanish: Irina-Camelia Begu para niños