Sorana Cîrstea continued her memorable farewell season with a stunning 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 win over Aryna Sabalenka at the Italian Open. The 36-year-old joked after the match about possibly extending her run on the WTA Tour if he continues her incredible run of form by winning the title in Rome.
Cîrstea took advantage of Sabalenka’s apparent injury to claim a dramatic comeback win over the world No. 1. It helped her set up a fourth-round match against Linda Nosková.
Sorana Cîrstea Hints at Postponing Retirement After Beating Aryna Sabalenka
In December, Cîrstea announced her retirement from professional tennis at the end of the 2026 season. But the Romanian has been playing some of the best tennis of her career this year.
Cîrstea won the Transylvania Open in February, defeating Emma Raducanu in the final. In addition, she reached the semifinals in Rouen and the quarterfinals in Linz, arriving in Rome with a 23-7 win-loss record in 2026.
After a 6-2, 6-0 win over Tatjana Maria in the second round, Cîrstea stunned Sabalenka for one of the biggest wins of her career. She showcased great resilience after losing the first set and managed to hand the world No. 1 only her third defeat of 2026.
When asked after her win over Sabalenka whether there was anything that could convince her to extend her run on the WTA, Cîrstea had a hilarious response.
“Maybe if I win the tournament, I promise I’ll think about it,” she said during her on-court post-match interview.
“I’m very very happy. Aryna is an amazing player. She doesn’t need an introduction. She’s number 1 in the world. I’m very happy with the win. I thought I played really well today. I’m working really really hard. It’s nice to have this result as pay-off,” she added.
Cîrstea left Sabalenka stunned with her aggressive approach on Saturday, as she turned the tide with a dominant first serve and an ability to win the decisive points. She broke Sabalenka’s serve 6 times and handed the Belarusian her earliest tournament exit since the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Sabalenka also appeared to be struggling with a lower back injury and had to call a medical timeout in the deciding set.
The impressive win over Sabalenka was Cîrstea’s 25th against a top-10-ranked player in her two-decade career on the WTA Tour. She has now beaten Sabalenka twice, with their overall head-to-head record tied at 2-2.
If she continues her impressive run of form on the WTA Tour this year, calls for Cîrstea to delay her retirement would certainly increase.
