Article by Maria Olteanu – Published on Saturday, 09 May 2026 22:34 / Updated on Saturday, 09 May 2026 22:38
Sorana Cîrstea (36 years old, 27 WTA) achieved a huge success on Saturday eveningin Rome, in the third round, against world leader Aryna Sabalenka (27 years old, 1 WTA), in the decider, and after the game, at the press conference, our player appeared euphoric, leaving open a small possibility of reconsidering her retirement from professional tennis, announced for the end of 2026.
Sorana produced one of the big surprises of the WTA 1000 in Rome, knocking out the world number one in a match in which she showed an exceptional level and with special significance for this moment in her career. Although she announced her retirement at the end of the season, the Romanian is showing her best tennis and spoke about this in the press conference at the Foro Italico.
Sorana Cîrstea's enthusiasm: she could continue in the circuit in 2027
After her first success in front of a world leader, Sorana's speech was a mixture of pride, serenity and reflection on a career marked by talent, uncertainties and admirable longevity.
“I'm very happy for this win, of course. I didn't know it was the first time I beat a world leader. I've had big wins in my career, but it's nice to see all the hard work pay off. I am also very satisfied with the level I am showing here in Rome”, our player began.
“This year I had very close matches against the best players. Last week in Madrid I was leading 6-4 and 2-0 against Coco. And in Linz against Mirra I had many opportunities in the third set. Recently I have played many matches against top players where I was very close.
I felt that maybe I lacked courage or needed to take more risks in important moments. I think I learned from those defeats. Today, in the decisive points, I tried to play aggressively and in my style. Against the best you can't just play it safe. They won't give you anything. You have to win. Today I knew that if I wanted to beat Aryna, I had to deserve it”, Cîrstea continued.
Sorana Cîrstea, after the fabulous success with Sabalenka: “We are a country with a wonderful history in tennis”
“We are a country with a wonderful history in tennis. From Năstase and Țiriac, to Virginia Ruzici, Andrei Pavel or Simona Halep. Unfortunately, we don't have a system and we don't all come from the same place. I think we simply have a history and some slightly crazy parents, who invest enormously in their children and want them to go very far in tennis”Sorana added.
“One of the good things is that in Romania we see tennis on TV every day. All the tournaments are broadcast. You grow up watching tennis and dreaming of getting there. My generation, Simona's, Begu's and many other top 100 players were incredible. I think we pushed each other from behind. I hope that now other girls can follow in our footsteps and keep the flag of Romanian tennis high.
It is very difficult to say whether this is the biggest victory of my career, because I have had wonderful triumphs. I was always a player who, on a good day, could beat anyone. What makes me happy the most is not so much the victory itself, but the way we played. I think in the second and third sets we showed a very high level. I followed the game plan perfectly and won on my terms. That makes me the happiest.
What pleases me the most this year is the consistency I've been able to show week after week. And also the title we won at home, in Cluj. It was the best week of my life. Everything I experienced there I will always keep with me. The emotions and the way they made me feel were incredible. I said that if I had to retire after Cluj, I would have been very happySorana added.
Sorana Cîrstea: “My plan remains to retire at the end of the year”
He then talked about retiring, as he had intended to do at the end of this season.
“I think all athletes have regrets. It doesn't matter if you're number one or if you've won Grand Slams, you always think you could have done more. Maybe I regret things from the beginning of my career. I could have been more disciplined or I could have done some things better. But in this last stage I feel like I really gave it my all for tennis. I worked hard, I was disciplined and I did things the right way.
Of course, this is the question I get every week (don't smile). At the moment, not much is changing. It's a great win, but it's only round three and I have to keep going. I know the level is there, I know mentally I'm fine and I'm enjoying everything. I have a lot of goals and every time I step on the field I want to get better.
At the same time, my plan remains to retire at the end of the year. We'll see how the season goes. There's always a little door open, because you never know how life will turn out. You can make plans, but then things don't always turn out the way you expect. We'll see what life has in store for me,” said the Romanian, quoted by puntodebreak.com, after declaring on the court that, if she won the tournament, she might change her mind.
VIDEO with the magnificent match that Sorana Cîrstea played in Rome, with Sabalenka
