Monica Niculescu Bio
Monica Niculescu (born 25 September 1987) is a Romanian professional tennis player. She has been ranked by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) as high as No. 28 in singles and No. 11 in doubles. Across her career, she has won three singles titles and ten doubles titles on the WTA Tour, alongside a strong record on the WTA Challenger Tour and the ITF Women’s Circuit. Niculescu has reached a Grand Slam doubles final at Wimbledon in 2017 and is best known for her unorthodox playing style, featuring a trademark forehand slice.
Born in Slatina, Romania, and based in Bucharest, Niculescu turned professional in 2002 and has been a consistent presence in the upper tiers of women’s tennis for more than two decades. She has represented Romania at the Olympic Games and continues to compete on both the WTA Tour and the WTA 125 series.
Early Life and Background
Monica Niculescu was born in Slatina, Romania, on 25 September 1987. She moved to Bucharest at the age of four, where she grew up and still resides. Her mother, Cristiana Silvia, works as a pharmaceutical sales representative, while her father, Mihai Niculescu, is an engineer. The family’s professional background offered a stable environment in which Monica and her older sister, Gabriela Niculescu, could both pursue tennis at a high level.
Gabriela Niculescu also became a professional tennis player, and the two sisters later competed together in junior doubles events. Monica’s early exposure to the sport came through her family, and she trained extensively in the Romanian capital throughout her formative years. She is currently coached by Călin Stelian Ciorbagiu.
Path to Tennis
Monica Niculescu’s competitive journey began on the ITF Junior Circuit, where she quickly established herself as a dominant force. Before the age of 18, she had won 11 singles finals, losing only one set in the process. She also partnered with her sister Gabriela in several doubles events, winning eight out of fourteen junior doubles titles, with most of those wins coming as a pair.
At the junior Grand Slams, Niculescu reached the girls’ doubles final at the French Open in 2004, partnering with Mădălina Gojnea. She also reached the Wimbledon girls’ doubles final in both 2004 and 2005, partnering with Marina Erakovic in those events. These results on the international junior stage helped her transition smoothly into the professional ranks, where she made her WTA Tour main-draw debut in February 2007 at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Monica Niculescu Career
Early Career (2002–2008)
Monica Niculescu made her first WTA Tour qualifying attempt in May 2006 at the Istanbul Cup, but did not progress. In February 2007, she reached the main draw of the Dubai Tennis Championships, marking her WTA Tour main-draw debut. Later that year, she recorded her first WTA Tour doubles win at the Barcelona Open and reached her first WTA doubles semifinal at the Gastein Ladies.
In 2008, Niculescu played her first Grand Slam main draw as a qualifier at the Australian Open. She made her Tier I debut at the Qatar Open, where she also recorded her first WTA Tour singles win. By the end of 2008, she had reached her first WTA doubles final at the Connecticut Open alongside compatriot Sorana Cîrstea, finishing the year ranked world No. 48 in singles and inside the top 50 in doubles as well.
Breakthrough on the WTA Tour (2009–2011)
The 2009 season brought Niculescu her first WTA Tour doubles title at the Budapest Grand Prix, won alongside Alisa Kleybanova. She also reached finals at the Stanford Classic in doubles and made multiple Premier-level semifinals, finishing the year ranked world No. 30 in singles. In 2010, she reached her first career Grand Slam doubles quarterfinal at the French Open and won a $100K title in Pétange.
In 2011, Niculescu achieved her Grand Slam singles breakthrough, advancing to the round of 16 at the US Open after defeating top-50 players Patricia Mayr-Achleitner and Alexandra Dulgheru before falling to Angelique Kerber. At the China Open, she defeated top-10 player Li Na and reached the semifinals. She finished 2011 as the No. 1 Romanian player in singles and made her debut inside the top 30.
First WTA Singles Title and Top Form (2012–2014)
In February 2012, Niculescu defeated top-10 player Vera Zvonareva on her way to the quarterfinal of the Qatar Open. She reached the Luxembourg Open final for the second consecutive year, this time losing to Venus Williams. In January 2012, she won the doubles title at the Hobart International and reached the Australian Open doubles quarterfinal.
In March 2013, Niculescu won her first WTA singles title at the Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianópolis, defeating Olga Puchkova in the final. She added a second singles title at the 2014 Guangzhou Open, beating Alizé Cornet in the final. She also won back-to-back doubles titles at the start of 2014 at the Shenzhen Open and Hobart International, and reached a Premier-level final at the Katowice Open.
Premier-Level Success (2015–2016)
The 2015 season saw Niculescu reach the round of 16 at Wimbledon, where she lost to Timea Bacsinszky. In doubles, she advanced to her first Premier 5/Premier Mandatory final at the Wuhan Open alongside Irina-Camelia Begu, finishing as runner-up to Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. She also won a $100K title in Poitiers to close the year.
In 2016, Niculescu started the year by winning the doubles title at the Shenzhen Open. She later captured doubles titles at the Washington Open and the Premier 5 Canadian Open, reaching a career-high doubles ranking of No. 16. She also made her Olympic debut at the Rio Games. In singles, she won her third career WTA singles title at the Luxembourg Open, defeating Petra Kvitová in the final.
Wimbledon Final and Career-High Doubles Ranking (2017–2018)
In April 2017, Niculescu won the doubles event at the Ladies Open Biel-Bienne alongside Hsieh Su-wei. She then reached the Wimbledon doubles final with Chan Hao-ching, losing to Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina. On 2 April 2018, she reached a career-high doubles ranking of No. 11 in the world, completing a run that included a semifinal at the Australian Open doubles with Irina-Camelia Begu.
Sustained Success (2019–2021)
In 2019, Niculescu won doubles titles at the Thailand Open with Begu and the Bronx Open runner-up finish. In October 2021, she won the inaugural Astana Open doubles title with Anna-Lena Friedsam, her tenth WTA Tour doubles title and first since February 2019. She also reached the US Open doubles quarterfinal with Elena-Gabriela Ruse, completing career Grand Slam doubles quarterfinals at all four majors.
Continued Form (2022–2024)
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Niculescu partnered with Irina-Camelia Begu, losing in the first round. She won the Hong Kong 125 Open doubles title with Elena-Gabriela Ruse, the Monterrey Open doubles title with Guo Hanyu, and the WTA 125 Open Angers Arena Loire doubles title with Ruse, closing 2024 on a strong note in doubles competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
Monica Niculescu is a right-handed player known for her unorthodox style of play. Her trademark is a sliced forehand, which she uses to disrupt rhythm and force opponents into uncomfortable positions. She hits a flat, two-handed backhand, and is also capable of producing tricky drop shots and precise volleys. Niculescu has cited Martina Hingis and Andre Agassi as her tennis idols.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most significant moments of Niculescu’s career are her Grand Slam doubles final at Wimbledon 2017 with Chan Hao-ching, her career-high doubles ranking of No. 11 reached in April 2018, and her third WTA singles title at the 2016 Luxembourg Open, won over Petra Kvitová. She has also represented Romania at multiple Olympic Games, including Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024.
Monica Niculescu Career Wins
Monica Niculescu has won three singles titles and ten doubles titles on the WTA Tour, plus additional titles on the WTA Challenger Tour and the ITF Women’s Circuit. Her singles breakthroughs came in 2013, 2014, and 2016, while her doubles success spans events of all levels, including Premier and Premier Mandatory categories.
WTA Tour Highlights
Niculescu’s first WTA singles title came at the 2013 Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianópolis, defeating Olga Puchkova in the final. Her second title followed at the 2014 Guangzhou Open, where she beat Alizé Cornet, and her third arrived at the 2016 Luxembourg Open against Petra Kvitová. In doubles, her first WTA title was the 2009 Budapest Grand Prix with Alisa Kleybanova, and her most recent was the 2021 Astana Open with Anna-Lena Friedsam.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond her WTA Tour titles, Niculescu has won multiple titles at the $100K level, including Pétange in 2010, Marseille in 2015, and Poitiers in both 2012 and 2015. She has also captured WTA 125 doubles titles at events such as Limoges, Hong Kong, and the WTA 125 Open Angers Arena Loire, demonstrating continued success in doubles at multiple competitive levels.
Monica Niculescu Family
Family Background and Tennis Lineage
Monica Niculescu comes from a close-knit family that has been central to her tennis development. Her mother, Cristiana Silvia, is a pharmaceutical sales representative, and her father, Mihai Niculescu, is an engineer. Her older sister, Gabriela Niculescu, is also a former professional tennis player, and the two sisters frequently partnered in junior doubles events during their early careers.
Personal Life
Monica Niculescu was born in Slatina but has spent most of her life in Bucharest, where she continues to reside. Beyond her close family ties and her ongoing professional career, limited public information is available regarding her personal relationships or marital status.
2025 Season Performance
Monica Niculescu began the 2025 season at the Hobart International, where she reached the doubles final partnering with Fanny Stollár. She finished as runner-up after losing to Jiang Xinyu and Wu Fang-hsien in the final, marking an encouraging start to her doubles campaign for the year.
With her career-high doubles ranking of No. 11 still within reach and her singles ranking continuing to benefit from her veteran experience, Niculescu remains a respected presence in both draws. Her unique playing style, combined with her doubles expertise, positions her as a dangerous opponent across surfaces heading into the heart of the 2025 season.
Looking ahead, Niculescu’s 2025 schedule is expected to include a mix of WTA Tour events, WTA 125 tournaments, and potentially additional Grand Slam appearances. Her continued partnership with compatriot Elena-Gabriela Ruse and other established doubles peers suggests she will remain competitive in the doubles rankings throughout the year.