Romanian star Sorana Cirstea sets date for Tennis farewell in 2026

There are certain players on the WTA Tour who feel like they have simply always been there. They are the constants in a variable world, the familiar faces that bridge the gap between the eras of Justine Henin and Serena Williams to the dominance of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka.

Sorana Cirstea is one of those constants. But, as the Romanian veteran reminded us on Saturday, even the most enduring chapters must eventually close.

In a poignant Instagram post that sent ripples through the tennis community, Cirstea announced that the 2026 season will be her final act. After two decades of professional competition, the 35-year-old is hanging up her racquet, but not before one last lap around the globe.

I have watched Cirstea navigate the brutal currents of the WTA for nearly 20 years. To understand the weight of this announcement, you have to look beyond just the statistics. You have to look at the sheer stubbornness of her longevity.

Since turning pro in 2006, Cirstea has been a near-permanent fixture in the Top 100, finishing inside that elite bracket every year since 2008 barring a single season. That level of consistency is rare; maintaining it into your mid-30s is exceptional.

“I love tennis. I love the discipline, the routines, the hard work,” she wrote in her announcement. “The competition and the adrenaline fuel my soul. But like everything in life, it must come to an end.”

It is fitting that she is choosing to leave on her own terms. Too often, we see veterans forced out by injury or fading rankings. Cirstea, conversely, is arguably playing some of the best tennis of her life.

If you had asked me a few years ago when Cirstea would retire, I might have guessed sooner. She battled a debilitating case of plantar fasciitis that eventually required surgery, a hurdle that ends careers for players much younger than her.

Instead of fading, she orchestrated a stunning renaissance in 2025.

Watching her lift her third career singles title in Cleveland this past August — more than four years after her last triumph in Istanbul — felt like a statement of intent. She didn’t stop there. She proved her versatility by capturing the WTA 1000 doubles title in Madrid alongside Anna Kalinskaya.

Ending the 2025 season ranked No. 43 in the world, she isn’t limping to the finish line. She is sprinting through it.

When I think of Cirstea’s career, I see a fascinating symmetry.

I remember the 19-year-old unseeded fearless hitter at Roland Garros in 2009. She dismantled giants like Alize Cornet, Caroline Wozniacki, and Jelena Jankovic to reach the quarterfinals. She was the future then—the first Romanian woman to crack the Top 30 in the modern era.

Fast forward 14 years to the 2023 US Open. There was Cirstea again, at age 33, matching that Grand Slam quarterfinal run by taking out Elena Rybakina. In between those two peaks, she reached a career-high of No. 21 in 2013 and made finals in Toronto and Tashkent.

She has been a giant-killer across three different decades. Her game, characterized by flat, aggressive groundstrokes, has matured, but the fire clearly remains. As she noted in her post, the last couple of years have been her “happiest on court,” a sentiment that has visibly translated into her performance.

The 2026 season now transforms into a victory lap for one of the tour’s most respected competitors. Cirstea has made it clear that this isn’t an immediate goodbye, but rather a “see you one more time.”

“I still have lots of things I want to improve, I have goals and ambitions,” she stated. “I hope to be able to achieve some of them next year and finish this wonderful career on a high note and on my terms.”

For fans, 2026 offers a final opportunity to appreciate a player who gave everything to the sport. From her two Olympic appearances in Beijing and London to her recent resurgence, Cirstea has paid her dues.

“Thank you Tennis, I will forever be indebted to you,” she wrote.

The debt, I’d argue, is mutual. The tour will feel a little different without her signature intensity, but we have one more year to enjoy the show.

See you in 2026, Sorana.