Twenty years on tour. Thirty-six years old. A retirement announcement last December. Yet Sorana Cirstea has never looked more alive than on this Friday in Rome, toppling world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in three sets, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, in the third round of the Italian Open.
The result, stunning on its own, takes on a historic dimension when placed within the context of an entire career. Before Rome, Cirstea had never defeated a world No.1 in six attempts. Zero wins from six. At 36 years and 28 days, she became the oldest player to achieve this feat since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975.
The Romanian built her victory on an ability to absorb punishment and stay clear-headed in the storm. Trailing 6-2, 0-2 after a first set dominated by Sabalenka, she gradually found her range. The break at 3-2 in the second set marked the turning point, the moment the veteran began dictating play.
Sabalenka took a medical timeout at 4-3 in the third set, lying on her back to have her lower back and left leg treated. She never recovered her level after the interruption. Cirstea broke three times in the deciding set to close out 7-5.
Cirstea's 2026 season, announced as her last, has been nothing short of remarkable. A 25-7 win-loss record, a fourth career title claimed in Cluj-Napoca in February, and a ranking that has climbed back to world No.27. "I'm working really hard," she said in her on-court interview. Simple words for a performance that was anything but.
Her trajectory defies the logic of modern tennis, where careers shorten and bodies break down earlier than ever. Cirstea is playing the best tennis of her life as she prepares to say goodbye. Next up in Rome: No.13 seed in the round of 16. The Roman chapter is not over yet.
