Age is just a number.

Almost two months on from her 38th birthday, Romanian Ioana Gaspar has become the oldest woman to win a title on the ITF World Tennis Tour since 2017 – and the fourth-oldest in the past decade – following her triumph at W15 Heraklion.

Gaspar, a former world No. 258, defeated compatriot Arina Gabriela Vasilescu 6-0 6-1 in the title match in Greece to claim the seventh ITF singles title of her career, and her first since 2018.

The Romanian emulates the likes of Kimiko Date, Patty Schnyder and Greta Arn, who all won ITF women’s singles titles after turning 38.

Arn was the last woman to win a title aged 38 or over, winning W60 Saguenay in October 2017, while Schnyder also won two titles that year at the same age, winning W25 events in Perigueux and Horb in June and July respectively.

Japan's Date was something of a master of winning late in her career, claiming six ITF singles titles between the ages of 38 and 42 from 2009-2012.

Gasper, meanwhile, did not compete on the Tour between 2011 and 2015, but has played competitively in 20 different seasons since making her professional debut back in 1997.

She won four titles between 1999 and 2000, but endured an 18-year wait for her next taste of singles silverware – winning her most recent titles (prior to last weekend) at W15 tournaments in Antalya and Szekesfehervar in 2018.

An impressive junior, Gasper ranked at No. 4 in the ITF Juniors world rankings 21 years ago and won the girls’ doubles title at Wimbledon in 2000.

Elsewhere last week, Miriam Kolodziejova followed her 10-7 match tie-break victory over Antonia Ruzic in the first round of qualifying at W25 Otocec with six straight-sets wins on the bounce to claim her seventh ITF singles title.

The 24-year-old Czech, who has now won two titles at W25 level, defeated home hope Dalila Jakupovic 6-0 6-2 in the final in Slovenia to continue her strong run of form of late, having finished runner-up at W15 Antalya the previous week.

Daniela Vismane won the other W25 title on offer last week, overcoming Norway’s Malene Helgo 6-4 6-4 in the final at W25 Liepaja.

The triumph was the 20-year-old Latvian’s third title to date – and most significant yet – following her two previous wins on clay at W15 Parnu in 2018 and W15 Heraklion in 2019.

There were also title wins for Lithuanian Justina Mikulskyte, Kazakh Zhibek Kulambayeva, Swiss Ylena In-Albon, Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume and first-time winner Leolia Jeanjean of France over the weekend.

The ITF World Tennis Tour continues with nine women's tournaments taking place this week. Follow all the latest here.