Cirstea, the best for the end

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With just a few months left before Sorana Cirstea hangs up her racket, many will think that the best is yet to come. And indeed, all you need to do is look at her #18 world ranking, her highest ever.

At 36, there is still room to break barriers and push your limits, and this is precisely what Sorana Cirstea has been doing in her last two seasons. It was last December when the Romanian decided to show bravery and announce her retirement by the end of 2026, revealing her future plans ahead of time and treating herself to one final active season. Could she handle the pressure of bidding farewell at every event she played in? A 27-9 record by mid-May is more than enough to answer that question.

That's what happens when you set yourself free, isn't it? When you finally let go of the rankings, the points, the victories, and all those things you once pursued but never attained. Despite having an outstanding career in terms of duration and timing, Sorana Cirstea could have achieved much more than she has. Turning pro in 2006, it's astounding to think that she only gathered four individual WTA 250 titles and two Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances. Interestingly, these two quarters are separated by 14 years: Roland Garros 2009 and US Open 2023. She was never the most consistent, and that, undoubtedly, might be the answer.

And suddenly, with her thirties well underway, no specific goal to pursue, and many miles on her engine, her mind unleashes, and her body responds like never before. Only this way could someone defeat opponents like Jelena Ostapenko, Eva Lys, Anastasia Potapova, Emma Raducanu, Linda Noskova, Diana Shnaider, Elise Mertens, or Aryna Sabalenka in less than five months. Hence, she went from battling to stay in the top 50 to breaking into the world's top 20 for the first time. Do you now understand the saying "better late than never"?

Sorana Cirstea and a Record Hard to Beat

Building victory upon victory, Cirstea has reached where many thought she would someday, just not at 36. The consistency that eluded her at 18, at 22, or at 31 has now struck her, six months before she hangs up her racket for good. Thus, she becomes the oldest player in tennis history to break into the top 20 for the first time. There couldn't be a better reward after her triumph in Rome, also for the first time in her life, against the current world number one. This time, Sabalenka was the one on the receiving end so that the Romanian could fulfill this dream.

Considering all this, it's not far-fetched to draw parallels between Sorana Cirstea and Danielle Collins, another player who reached her peak when announcing her final goodbye to professional tennis. Although her goodbye wasn't final in the end as she decided to play one more season, and that's when disaster struck. Now the American is commenting on tennis on TV, probably regretting not hanging up her racket when she was at the top. We will have to wait and see how Sorana navigates through this complex situation. At her peak, with her best ranking and feeling more fulfilled than ever, the Romanian will have to sit down these upcoming months and have a conversation with herself. Whichever path she chooses, we will celebrate it.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Cirstea, lo mejor para el final