Tennis Recluse Bucșa: Spain's Top Female Player, No Sponsors, Just Wants to Blend into the Crowd

Can you believe it? The player ranked No. 31 in the WTA singles world rankings actually has no sponsorship for clothing or shoes, and even chooses her racket based purely on feel. She is Bucșa, who just won both singles and doubles titles at the WTA 500 Mérida tournament last week, a female player from Spain.

On March 2, in the WTA 500 Mérida final, Bucșa defeated Frech 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to claim her first career tour-level singles title. / Image source: WTA official Weibo (same below)

In Mérida, the 28-year-old Bucșa won her first tour singles title and also her eighth tour doubles title, while her partner, Chinese player Jiang Xinyu, won her seventh doubles title.

Thanks to her outstanding performance in Mérida, Bucșa's singles world ranking soared 32 places to No. 31, marking her career-high singles ranking. On the Spanish women's singles ranking list, behind Bucșa is No. 50 Buzărnescu, followed by Badosa, who has slipped to No. 106 due to persistent back issues. Now, Bucșa has become the top-ranked Spanish female tennis player.

Badosa once reached a career-high world No. 2. With her notable achievements, resemblance to Maria Sharapova, and past relationship with Stefanos Tsitsipas, this Spanish player was once a hot star in tennis. Compared to the early-success story of Badosa, Bucșa has taken a completely different path. Badosa swept through the junior circuit and smoothly entered the elite ranks, while Bucșa did not taste victory in a significant tournament until the age of 28. Sponsorship offers once poured in for Badosa, whereas Bucșa has consistently avoided brand partnerships and social media.

Image of Bucșa holding the trophy at the WTA 500 Mérida tournament

Bucșa trained in Cantabria in northern Spain, where her parents settled. In 2001, her parents moved here from Moldova with the 3-year-old Bucșa, and this land became the starting point of her tennis journey. At age 7, Bucșa won the Cantabria regional championship for players under 10, and later claimed national tennis championships across various age groups in Spain.

Bucșa's father, Ion Bucșa, is a former Moldovan biathlete who participated in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. A few years ago, Bucșa said in an interview: "My father is not only my coach but also an osteopath, physiotherapist, masseur, and has deep knowledge in physical training and nutrition." He is also a steadfast supporter behind Bucșa, constantly helping his introverted daughter step out of her shell.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Bucșa partnered with Sorribes Tormo to win the women's doubles bronze medal. After the match, her coach father admitted: "We hope this can help her open up, and we can also find sponsors for her." Before this, Bucșa had never sought brand sponsorships like other players to cover her travel, equipment, and racket expenses. When she first played at Wimbledon, she didn't even have proper tennis shoes.

Bucșa (right) partnering with Chinese player Jiang Xinyu (left) to win the WTA 500 Mérida doubles title

Before competing at Wimbledon in 2019, Bucșa had never played on grass. Before heading to London for Wimbledon qualifying, she hastily ordered a pair of grass-court tennis shoes online, but received sunglasses instead. "It was awful. We had to go to Decathlon and buy a pair of golf shoes as an emergency solution."

Although golf shoes have studs suitable for grass, they are not designed for tennis and are not even permitted at Wimbledon. Near the Wimbledon grounds, Bucșa found a tennis shop, but it only had shoes two sizes too big for her. In desperation, she bought them and stuffed thick socks inside to prevent slipping. Despite this, Bucșa still managed a win in the qualifying rounds.

Bucșa arrived in Mérida on a five-match losing streak. She defeated top seed Paolini 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinals, securing her first career win over a top-10 player, and ultimately lifted her first championship trophy.

Until a few months ago, Bucșa was the only player among the WTA top 100 without clothing or racket sponsorships. Her match outfits were all self-funded, and her racket was chosen purely by feel, unrelated to any commercial contract. Last year, Bucșa finally signed an endorsement deal with a Singapore-based clothing brand.

Despite signing a clothing endorsement, Bucșa still stays away from social media—she has no Instagram account, does not use TikTok or X (Twitter), and her Facebook account is rarely used, only occasionally to arrange practice sessions with other players or confirm doubles partnerships.

The introverted Bucșa is also currently a psychology student and has a passion for philosophy. After climbing to world No. 31 and becoming Spain's top female player, Bucșa still desires to be a tennis player who blends into the crowd. She admits: "I love freedom. Freedom is the most beautiful thing in the world."(Source: Tennis Home Author: Yun Juan Yun Shu)