Italian Open 2026: Sorana Cirstia reaches Rome semi-finals in her final season before retirement

When Cirstea announced that 2026 would be her farewell after a 20-year career, not even her dreams suggested the reality of how it ended.

His retirement announcement has led to a play with newfound freedom, as well as a sense of having nothing left to prove.

This open mindedness has produced some of the best results of his career – especially on clay where he has won 10 of his 12 matches so far.

Earlier this week, she became the oldest player to defeat a world number one after knocking out Aryna Sabalenka in the third round in Rome.

If Cirstea manages to beat Coco Gough or Mirra Andreeva in the semi-finals, she will also break another significant barrier – finally breaking into the world’s top 20.

After building a solid career that included four WTA titles and two Grand Slam quarterfinals, Cirstea never went higher than the top 21 – which was back in 2013.

He played some of the best tennis of his career, prompting many to ask if he might reconsider his decision.

Cirstea is committed to hanging up her racket, though she added a caveat as her run in Rome continues.

“Maybe if I win the tournament, I promise I’ll think about it,” he laughed.