Sorana Cirstea says 2026 season will be her last

Field Level Media|published: Sat 6th December, 11:27 2025

Mar 29, 2023; Miami, Florida, US; Sorana Cirstea (ROU) waves to the crowd after her match against Aryna Sabalenka (not pictured) in a women's singles quarterfinal on day ten of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Sorana Cirstea announced Saturday that her 20th season on the WTA Tour in 2026 will be her last.

The 35-year-old Romanian has won three singles titles and earned nearly $11 million in prize money.

Currently ranked No. 43 in the world, Cirstea climbed as high as No. 21 back in August 2013.

"I love tennis. I love the discipline, the routines, the hard work. The competition and the adrenaline fuel my soul," Cirstea wrote on Instagram. "But like everything in life, it must come to an end.

"Next year it will be my 20th year on tour as a professional tennis player. I never expected to compete for such a long time, but the last couple of years have been my happiest on court and they just kept me going. That being said, I have now decided that 2026 will be my last year on tour."

Cirstea won her third career singles title in August in Cleveland, defeating American Ann Li 6-2, 6-4 in the final. Her previous titles came in 2008 in Uzbekistan and 2021 in Turkey.

Cirstea's best finishes in the Grand Slam events in singles were quarterfinal appearances at the 2009 French Open and 2023 U.S. Open. She reached the doubles quarterfinals at Wimbledon this year and has six doubles titles.

--Field Level Media

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